Well it just needs to hold it until it's inactive, right? The virus doesn't seem to stay active on surfaces more than about 3 days at room temperature, so it just needs to hold it for that long.
That's something I never really got about mask reuse either. People kept saying these masks aren't reusable unless they use UV light treatment or something, and it just seemed like if it's considered safe to touch mail after letting it sit in the garage for a few days after getting it, then shouldn't you just have to let masks sit for a few days for them to be usable again (hell, wait two weeks, even).
I'm sure there's good reasons for it, just haven't seen it. I imagine some masks are considered one time use because they degrade enough after that use that they might not protect as well, but then why are people trying so hard to find methods to make them reusable that seem to mainly just involve disinfecting them?
> One strategy to mitigate the contact transfer of pathogens from the FFR to the wearer during reuse is to issue five respirators to each healthcare worker who may care for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. The healthcare worker will wear one respirator each day and store it in a breathable paper bag at the end of each shift. The order of FFR use should be repeated with a minimum of five days between each FFR use.
Disinfecting is required when supply is so constrained that issuing five respirators to every worker plus replacements isn't possible. You can disinfect a mask in minutes and get it back on the floor. Also, letting a mask sit will get rid of most viruses, including COVID-19, but it won't get rid of other pathogens (e.g. bacteria).
Oh, good. This is the first time I've seen this. I'm glad this is considered a possible method. Seems like one and done for so many masks is so wasteful if not absolutely necessary.
Active disinfection probably degrades the material.. Wearing them too long probably does too (moisture from breathing). But I agree you can have say 4 or 5 N95s and rotate them.
That's something I never really got about mask reuse either. People kept saying these masks aren't reusable unless they use UV light treatment or something, and it just seemed like if it's considered safe to touch mail after letting it sit in the garage for a few days after getting it, then shouldn't you just have to let masks sit for a few days for them to be usable again (hell, wait two weeks, even).
I'm sure there's good reasons for it, just haven't seen it. I imagine some masks are considered one time use because they degrade enough after that use that they might not protect as well, but then why are people trying so hard to find methods to make them reusable that seem to mainly just involve disinfecting them?