Vaporized hydrogen peroxide may be able to disinfect respirator masks used by health care workers treating patients infected with COVID-19 virus, according to preliminary findings by Yale researchers.
Although researchers did not test for its ability to disinfect COVID-19 itself, a device that circulates vaporized hydrogen peroxide and commonly used to disinfect hospital rooms cleared three types of viruses with similar characteristics placed on N95-respirators, found the study, now in expedited peer review.
These respirator masks offer state-of-the art protection against infection for health care workers, and are in extremely high demand in pandemic-stricken regions of the country. But after use, they can harbor viral particles, and can potentially infect health care workers.
The device, made by the international firm Bioquell, is in use in some hospitals for sanitizing rooms where patients with highly infectious diseases have been treated.
Read more at Yale University
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