Safety code blue! Assessing the use of blue surgical sterilization wrap for homemade respirator masks during the COVID-19 crisis

Daniel T Lammers; Ian F Jones; Christopher W Marenco; Kaitlin R Morte; John M McClellan; Matthew J Eckert; Jason R Bingham

doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2020.07.021

Safety code blue! Assessing the use of blue surgical sterilization wrap for homemade respirator masks during the COVID-19 crisis

Am J Infect Control. 2021 Feb;49(2):274-275. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2020.07.021. Epub 2020 Jul 15.

Authors

Daniel T Lammers¹, Ian F Jones², Christopher W Marenco², Kaitlin R Morte², John M McClellan², Matthew J Eckert², Jason R Bingham²

Affiliations

¹ Department of General Surgery, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma WA. Electronic address: dtlammer@gmail.com.
² Department of General Surgery, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma WA.

Abstract

The use of surgical sterilization wrap for respirator masks during the COVID-19 crisis has become a popularized personal protective equipment alternative option due to claims supporting its ability to meet N95 standards. This study sought to assess these claims using standardized filter testing. The tested material failed to meet N95 standards and suggests its use may place medical personnel at increased risk of harm when managing COVID-19 patients.

Keywords: Coronavirus; Homemade mask; Infection; Respiratory disease.

Published by Elsevier Inc.

MeSH terms

Aerosols / isolation & purification
COVID-19 / prevention & control*
COVID-19 / virology
Equipment Design / adverse effects*
Equipment Design / standards
Health Personnel
Humans
Masks / standards
Masks / virology*
Materials Testing / statistics & numerical data*
Respiratory Protective Devices / standards
Respiratory Protective Devices / virology*
SARS-CoV-2 / isolation & purification*
Sterilization

Substances

Aerosols