Man wearing surgical mask

Use and Fit of Face Masks

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread to more than 200 countries and regions within the last year, causing a once-in-a-century health crisis with more than 90 million cases and 1.9 million deaths worldwide. The use of face masks has been widely recommended to reduce the risk of infection with the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological …

N95 Respirator Reprocessing Study

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

SARS-CoV-2 is an RNA virus that has a diameter of approximately 0.1 µm. It is transmitted by respiratory droplets and aerosols such that one of the most effective ways to prevent infection is to wear filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs). The commonly used FFRs are N95 respirators, devices that by design filter 95% or more of particles larger than 0.3 µm …

Spotting Fake N95s

Angie SzumlinskiAnnouncements, Featured

Counterfeit N95 face masks are on the rise and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no guarantee they provide the same protection as masks approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the agency in the United States that regulates filtering facepiece respirators. In an article published in Medscape, a clear sign …

Mask Filtration Efficiency

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

In March 2020, the soaring number of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections resulted in an unprecedented shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for clinicians and essential health care workers. The shortage was most profound among N95 respirators, named for their ability to filter 95% or more of tiny 0.3 µm particles, and are considered the mainstay of …

Ties or Loops

Angie SzumlinskiStudies

A study on the effectiveness of facemasks that was published in JAMA on November 23, 2020, was a little disturbing. When comparing a surgical mask with head ties vs a procedure mask with ear loops, there was a large difference in fitted filtration efficiencies (FFEs) (71.5% vs 38.1% respectively). Even more concerning, there was also a similar trend of poor …

Opportunity to Purchase PPE at Bulk Pricing Rates

Angie SzumlinskiFeatured

To help members who are having trouble getting ahold of personal protective equipment, The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (AMDA) is working with Project N95 to purchase and offer such items at bulk pricing rates. There are no minimum order quantities, but the offer is only for a one-time bulk purchase and may not be repeated. The following …

Mask Research

Angie SzumlinskiNews, Studies

N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFR) and surgical masks are essential in reducing airborne disease transmission, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, currently available FFR’s and masks have major limitations, including masking facial features, waste, and integrity after decontamination. Investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have been working to design a better, reusable respirator that could …

N95 – Don’t Use More Than 2 Days

Angie SzumlinskiStudies

New research presented online at the meeting of American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) 2020, has found that nearly 50% of N95 masks fail to work when reused for more than 2 days. Dr. Ronald Check of St. Luke’s University Hospital, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania who presented the study said “N95 respirators used past day 2 had significant failure rates.” Lack of …

OSHA – Temporary Enforcement Guidance

Angie SzumlinskiAnnouncements, News

On October 2, 2020, OSHA released a memorandum providing temporary enforcement guidance to Compliance Safety and Health Officers (CSHOs) for enforcing initial and annual fit-testing requirements of the Respiratory Protection standard. Citation Guidance states: Provided NIOSH-approved tight-fitting PAPRs to protect personnel against SARS-CoV-2 using a high efficiency (HE) particulate cartridge or filter, when initial and/or annual fit-testing is infeasible due …

Imported N95-Style Masks – Are There Risks?

Angie SzumlinskiAnnouncements

ECRI is a non-profit, independent organization that utilizes an unbiased, evidence-based approach to develop guidance and maintain their principles of integrity and transparent work. Their ethical standards have led them to adopt the industry’s strictest conflict-of-interest policies and they are why tens of thousands of healthcare leaders worldwide rely on ECRI to guide their clinical, operational, and strategic decisions across …