By Angie Perry
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23 May, 2020
The overwhelming shortage in personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical workers during the crisis has been an intimidating challenge for response teams. Large mask production companies such as 3M have been scrambling to catch up to the severe demand increase . Though they are racing to increase production output to match the new heightened needs this year, many health providers debate whether they can potentially reuse the equipment they already have. “If I can sanitize it and it still fits and performs the same form, fit and function, why not reuse it,” said Michael Ingle, CEO and founder of the mattress cleaning business Clean Sleep. “We pushed to start sanitizing masks, and we’re doing that now. So we were able to keep operations going and keep our employees, and, you know, expand the opportunity. Plus, we’re also serving a good cause.” The CDC released recommendations for extended use and limited reuse of the N95 respirator. The Food and Drug Administration has also issued new approvals for companies developing innovative ways to sanitize PPE. The FDA issued emergency use authorizations (EUA) for organizations to be able to sterilize and reuse personal protective equipment. Reusing the equipment cuts down on medical waste, making it economically beneficial as well as more eco friendly. Only 12 emergency use authorizations have been recorded on the FDA’s website regarding PPE . The administration issued a reminder that machines using ozone gas or UV light, such as Clean Sleep’s, have not yet been officially approved as a decontamination method. “When the FDA authorizes the use of the system, then they also make available the specific instructions,” said Nicole McCullough, global occupational health and safety leader at 3M. “So you can imagine it’s not just any UV light. You couldn’t put them in a tanning bed or something. It has to be a certain light and the respirators have to be placed in there, a certain way to make sure all the surfaces receive the light.” Ingle's mattress company applied for an EUA to start sanitizing medical devices. He told CNBC the CDC approves his method to sanitize masks, however not medical devices because the UV light system has the ability to disrupt the RNA and DNA of other viruses. In the meantime, the business owner said, the company is glad to be able to innovate and help clients such as senior living facilities in the time of crisis, while simultaneously keeping his business open. “If you’re in this space and you recognize and capture the opportunities to help create a sanitized environment, I think that we stand to to continue to grow and to continue to serve,” he said. Despite being in the middle of such a large, and tragic pandemic, there is silver lining. People, though physically apart, are still finding ways to come together, innovate and help one another. This world emergency , though devastating, has pushed people into thinking and understanding in new, remarkable ways.