AHN now sanitizing, reusing N95 masks with CDC-approved process

PITTSBURGH — Allegheny Health Network now has a process to sterilize N95 respiratory masks so that they can be used more than once by caregivers, helping to alleviate mask supply shortages across the country during the coronavirus pandemic.

The sterilization process was recently approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. AHN started using it over the weekend at its nine surgical hospitals, officials said.

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AHN said it has the ability to sterilize more than 6,000 masks each day.

Disposable masks, such as N95s, are not normally allowed to be reused, but it is currently being permitted if they are sterilized because of the shortage caused by the pandemic.

“The FDA is temporarily authorizing health care providers to sterilize masks for re-use with in-house sterilization equipment that is typically used to sterilize and decontaminate surgical tools and other health care instruments,” a news release from AHN said.

The N95 masks can be recycled twice before being discarded.

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