Q: I am 51 and have several older relatives with lung problems that I try to visit regularly. I’ve read that there is a resurgence of COVID cases since the weather has cooled and I want to do everything I can to avoid giving it to my relatives.
I have two N95 face masks already but am having difficulty finding more. I need to wear one when I visit anyone with significant lung diseases, particularly during this holiday season. Is there any proven method to extend the usable life of the masks I have until I can find more?
A: There is. Because of a past shortage of face masks for health care workers, there was great interest in finding ways to reuse the face masks.
In a very carefully done study published about three years ago by the Department of Pathology at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center & Massachusetts General Hospital, both in Boston, in association with Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it was shown that N95 masks can be sterilized for reuse up to 20 times without compromising their ability to filter out virus particles or fit the wearer’s face.
N95 masks are the types worn by doctors and nurses treating patients with highly infectious diseases.
A number of methods can be used to clean the masks, and this method is best suited for at-home cleaning, using only household items: It requires a 6.5 inch by 6.5 inch by 3-inch-deep Pyrex baking dish, with a mesh stretched over the top, held in place with a large rubber band (the mesh from a supermarket produce bag works perfectly). Pour one quarter cup of tap water into the dish, place the mask to be sterilized on top of the mesh, making sure that no part of it — including the elastic — hangs over the edge of the dish, then place it in an 1100to 1150-watt microwave oven, preferably one with a turntable.
“Cooking” this assembly for 3 minutes was shown, through very rigorous study methods, to completely sterilize the entire mask. The study authors also reported that, even if there was a small amount of metal in the mask, no sparks occurred during the process, making it safe to use in the home.
I want to thank Jonathan G. for this question. To learn more about this and many other health topics, visit the American Academy of Family Physicians’ website, familydoctor.org, where you can search for your topic of interest.
If you have a particular topic you would like to hear more about, message me at paulmdake@ gmail.com.
Dr. Paul Dake, a Newberry native, is a retired family physician. He lives in Pinconning, Michigan.
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N95 masks can be sterilized for reuse up to 20 times without compromising their ability to filter out virus particles or fit the wearer’s face.
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