The importance of the minimum dosage necessary for UVC decontamination of N95 respirators during the COVID-19 pandemic

Authors

Shanthi Narla, Henry Ford HealthFollow
Alexis B. Lyons, Henry Ford HealthFollow
Indermeet Kohli, Henry Ford HealthFollow
Angeli E. Torres, Henry Ford HealthFollow
Angie Parks-Miller, Henry Ford HealthFollow
David M. Ozog, Henry Ford HealthFollow
Iltefat H. Hamzavi, Henry Ford HealthFollow
Henry W. Lim, Henry Ford HealthFollow

Recommended Citation

Narla S, Lyons AB, Kohli I, Torres AE, Parks-Miller A, Ozog DM, Hamzavi IH, and Lim HW. The Importance of the Minimum Dosage Necessary for UVC Decontamination of N95 Respirators during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed 2020.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-14-2020

Publication Title

Photodermatology, photoimmunology & photomedicine

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released a press report highlighting the severe shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) that is endangering healthcare workers worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.(1) To meet this urgent need, healthcare institutions across the world have begun to utilize the germicidal properties of ultraviolet C (UVC) to decontaminate N95 respirators so that they can be reused.(2) It is clearly crucial that the dose of UVC delivered is sufficient to kill any viable SARS-CoV-2, the causative virus of the COVID-19 pandemic, that may be present on the respirators.

PubMed ID

32291807

ePublication

ePub ahead of print