Should N95 Masks Still Be Reused? FDA Looks To Change Policy

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in the process of tightening its policy around the reuse of N95 masks and is expected to order a return to standard procedures. With the U.S. ramping up its COVID-19 vaccinations in an effort to get a handle on the pandemic, the FDA is now saying that there are enough N95 masks available to treat them as disposable.

The shift was signaled in a letter to health care bodies on April 9. While nonbinding, the letter heralds stronger changes to come, as noted by ABC News.

“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is recommending health care personnel and facilities transition away from crisis capacity conservation strategies,” read the letter.

The FDA said it would reexamine the recommendation should supply once again fail to meet demand.

In the early stages of the pandemic, hospitals were forced to make do with what they had as manufacturers of protective gear struggled to meet surging demands. Once-disposable items like individual N95 masks became vital resources.

Suzanne Schwartz, director of the FDA’s office of strategic partnerships and technology innovation, said in an interview with ABC News that the days of dusting off masks for reuse are over.

“The ability to decontaminate was purely a last resort, an extreme measure,” she said. “...There is a need for us to move back towards contingency and conventional strategies, which is, you use the respirator for the interaction, and then you dispose of it and get a new one.”

Health worker unions have been requesting more protective equipment for months. While many have applauded the direction of the letter, a nonbinding suggestion doesn’t do much to change the situation on the ground.

Mike Bowen, CEO of Prestige Ameritech, an N95 mask manufacturer, said that millions of masks are sitting in warehouses unpurchased. The masks were never designed for repeated use.

“While nurses pleaded for clean masks, American N95 makers were filling their warehouses with N95s that hospitals weren’t buying. Starting today, America’s healthcare workers can and should demand clean, new N95 masks,” he said. “The N95 mask shortage is over."