Filtering facepiece respirators: To reuse or not to reuse?
The importance of covering a cough or a sneeze to prevent spreading germs to those around us, often using the crook of an elbow, is something that most of us learned before starting school. Healthcare providers typically wear personal protective equipment, such as the filtering facepiece respirator, to protect both themselves and their patients. However, whether or not this equipment can be reused and still provide the necessary protection is a complicated issue.
(In Photo from NIOSH/NPPTL: Improper donning and doffing combined with reuse resulted in more viruses transferred to the hands during scenarios simulating the use of filtering facepiece respirator.)