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How well do N95 respirators protect healthcare providers against aerosolized influenza virus?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 December 2018

Werner E. Bischoff Open the ORCID record for Werner E. Bischoff [Opens in a new window] ,
JoLyn Turner ,
Gregory Russell ,
Maria Blevins ,
Engy Missaiel  and
John Stehle Jr
Werner E. Bischoff*
Affiliation:
Internal Medicine, Section on Infectious Diseases, and Infection Prevention and Health System Epidemiology, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
JoLyn Turner
Affiliation:
Internal Medicine, Section on Infectious Diseases, and Infection Prevention and Health System Epidemiology, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Gregory Russell
Affiliation:
Department of Biostatistical Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, North Carolina
Maria Blevins
Affiliation:
Internal Medicine, Section on Infectious Diseases, and Infection Prevention and Health System Epidemiology, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Engy Missaiel
Affiliation:
Department of General Surgery, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, North Carolina
John Stehle Jr
Affiliation:
Infection Prevention and Health System Epidemiology, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
*
Author for correspondence: Werner E. Bischoff MD, Internal Medicine/Infectious Diseases, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157. E-mail: wbischof@wakehealth.edu
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Abstract

N95 respirator masks are recommended for protection against respiratory viruses. Despite passing fit-testing 10% of N95 respirator users encountered breakthroughs with exposure to influenza virus compared to full protection provided by a powered air purifying respirator. The current recommendation of N95 respirators should be evaluated for endemic and emerging scenarios.

Type
Concise Communication
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 40 , Issue 2 , February 2019 , pp. 232 - 234
Copyright
© 2018 by The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. All rights reserved. 

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Footnotes

PREVIOUS PRESENTATION: These findings were presented in part as a poster (no. 441) at IDWeek 2017 on October 5, 2017, in San Diego, California.

Cite this article: Bischoff WE, et al. (2019). How well do N95 respirators protect healthcare providers against aerosolized influenza virus? Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology 2019, 40, 232–234. doi: 10.1017/ice.2018.326

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