Principles and practice for SARS-CoV-2 decontamination of N95 masks with UV-C

  1. Thomas Huber
  2. Olivia Goldman
  3. Alexander E. Epstein
  4. Gianna Stella
  5. Thomas P. Sakmar

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Abstract

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  1. Version published to 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.02.039
  2. Version published to 10.1101/2020.06.08.20125062v2 on medRxiv
  3. ScreenIT

    SciScore for 10.1101/2020.06.08.20125062: (What is this?)

    Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.

    Table 1: Rigor

    NIH rigor criteria are not applicable to paper type.

    Table 2: Resources

    Software and Algorithms
    SentencesResources
    Exponential fitting of the dose-dependent data with Prism (Graphpad) showed that a dose of 88 mJ/cm2 (95% C.I. 77 to 103) yields a half-maximum photochromic effect.
    Prism
    suggested: (PRISM, RRID:SCR_005375)
    Graphpad
    suggested: (GraphPad, RRID:SCR_000306)

    Results from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).

    Results from LimitationRecognizer: We detected the following sentences addressing limitations in the study:
    However, this method of measuring bioburden reduction has a key limitation; the static application of the virus to the respirator surface does not accurately model the penetration of aerosolized virus deeper into the respirator. Aerosolization of the virus prior to exposure is prohibitively dangerous, requiring a biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) laboratory. Small-scale implementation of UVGI for N95 masks: Many groups have focused on large- scale chambers to accommodate up to 27 masks in one cycle with two planar 12 UV-C bulb arrays (Hamzavi et al., 2020; Schnell et al., 2020). However, biosafety cabinets and even medium-scale UVGI boxes that hold 6 masks demonstrate variability in UV dosage as a result of distance, angle of incidence from light source, and orientation and shape of the masks (Baluja et al., 2020; Card et al., 2020). The higher UV-C doses needed to compensate for this variability and ensure decontamination may increase the risk of compromising masks’ structural integrity. By contrast, a single-mask decontamination system can ensure that a controlled, carefully measured dose UV-C dose is delivered to the mask. In addition, such a system would be cheap and practical for point-of-care decontamination outside of hospital settings. We used a commercial UVP Crosslinker that has 5x 8W 254-nm mercury vapor bulbs in an enclosure. A microprocessor controls the UV-C exposure and stops the irradiation when the desired energy is delivered. Since the bulbs are only at the top of t...

    Results from TrialIdentifier: No clinical trial numbers were referenced.

    Results from Barzooka: We did not find any issues relating to the usage of bar graphs.

    Results from JetFighter: We did not find any issues relating to colormaps.

    Results from rtransparent:
    • Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • Thank you for including a funding statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • No protocol registration statement was detected.

    About SciScore

    SciScore is an automated tool that is designed to assist expert reviewers by finding and presenting formulaic information scattered throughout a paper in a standard, easy to digest format. SciScore checks for the presence and correctness of RRIDs (research resource identifiers), and for rigor criteria such as sex and investigator blinding. For details on the theoretical underpinning of rigor criteria and the tools shown here, including references cited, please follow this link.

  4. Version published to 10.1101/2020.06.08.20125062v1 on medRxiv