Critical need to conserve supplies of N95 masks
Since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, supplies of N95 respirators (also called N95 masks) of all types and sizes have been significantly constrained nationwide. While Penn State Health Supply Chain has been successful in its efforts to source and provide these respirators where needed, it now faces a critical shortage.
“It is essential that staff conserve N95 masks immediately,” said Richard Bagley, senior vice president and chief supply officer at Penn State Health. “The N95 small size 3M and small size Halyard N95 specifically are in very short supply. If staff continue to use them at their current rate, supplies could be depleted within a few weeks.”
The N95 respirators should only be used by employees who are administering high-risk aerosol-generating procedures or who are working directly with a patient who is COVID-19 positive or suspected of having the coronavirus, explained Dr. Cindy Whitener, Division of Infectious Diseases, Hershey Medical Center. “We understand that some staff are nervous and feel more comfortable wearing an N95 respirator, but we need to be respectful of our colleagues who are at higher risk of exposure and most in need of the N95s,” said Whitener.
It is critical that those who do use N95 masks do not throw them out, but rather follow the reuse and extended use policy, said Whitener. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that if there are viral organisms on the mask, they will die within 72 hours, she explained. “So if you store your mask in your brown paper bag that’s left open and keep it there for five days, you can go back to using that N95 again,” said Whitener, adding that there will soon be a process in place at the health system to help guide staff in storing and reusing their masks.
As heightened mask conservation efforts are underway, Bagley says that they’re evaluating several options to expand the supply, including working with the Center for Medical Innovation (CMI) at Penn State College of Medicine to create our own. “But one of the challenges is that the material needed for the N95 filter is very hard to get. What we really need people to do right now is only use N95s when they’re clinically required.”
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