Course: Evaluation of Aerosol Particle Leak and Standard Surgical Mask Fit With 3 Elastomeric Harness Designs
CME Credits: 1.00
Released: 2022-01-31
Because COVID-19 can be transmitted by airborne aerosols, the use of masks that both effectively filter particles and fit snugly to the face is particularly important. It is recommended that doctors and other health care professionals use N95 respirators instead of surgical masks while performing high-risk, aerosol-generating procedures., However, early in the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, N95 respirators were difficult to obtain because of a global shortage of personal protective equipment. Standard surgical masks tend to have a poor fit, resulting in their limited ability to protect the wearer against viral aerosolized droplets., The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) uses an ambient aerosol condensation nuclei counter quantitative fit testing protocol to evaluate N95 respirator fit. Here, we developed 3 elastomeric harness designs that allow users to meet the OSHA N95 fit factor requirement (FFR) when worn with a standard surgical mask.
Educational Objective
To identify the key insights or developments described in this article
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