Decontamination of N95 respirators against SARS-CoV-2: A scoping review

  1. Rafael Sarkis-Onofre
  2. Rafaela do Carmo Borges
  3. Giulia Demarco
  4. Lara Dotto
  5. Falk Schwendicke
  6. Flávio Fernando Demarco

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Abstract

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  1. Version published to 10.1016/j.jdent.2020.103534
  2. ScreenIT

    SciScore for 10.1101/2020.07.11.20151399: (What is this?)

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

    Table 1: Rigor

    Institutional Review Board Statementnot detected.
    Randomizationnot detected.
    Blindingnot detected.
    Power Analysisnot detected.
    Sex as a biological variablenot detected.

    Table 2: Resources

    Software and Algorithms
    SentencesResources
    Information sources and search: The search was performed in two databases: Medline (PubMed) and Scopus; only articles written in English language were included.
    Medline
    suggested: (MEDLINE, RRID:SCR_002185)
    PubMed
    suggested: (PubMed, RRID:SCR_004846)
    The search strategy was based on MeSH terms of PubMed and specific terms of Scopus and the last search was performed in May 2020.
    MeSH
    suggested: (MeSH, RRID:SCR_004750)
    The following strategies were used: Selection: The search was undertaken using EndNote (EndNote X9, Thomson Reuters, New York, US).
    EndNote
    suggested: (EndNote, RRID:SCR_014001)
    Data charting and items: We created a form using Excel (Microsoft, Redmond, Washington, US), which was pilot tested by three reviewers to reach a consensus on what data to collect and how.
    Excel
    suggested: None

    Results from OddPub: Thank you for sharing your data.

    Results from LimitationRecognizer: We detected the following sentences addressing limitations in the study:
    The use of this decontamination method has limitations due different mask needing different irradiation dosages; high dosage in turn could result in high toxicity and structural damage of the mask. Moreover, it also needs specific equipment, limiting its availability. Ideally, any decontamination method should eliminate all pathogens; maintain mask integrity and filter capacity; at low toxicity and costs. Until a method does not fulfill these criteria, the extended use of masks seems to be a good and low-cost approach to overcome the discussed limitations in availability. Current recommendations consider mask wearing periods between 4 and 40 hours 28. Notably, additional protection such as use of face shield and strict adherence to hand hygiene practices are needed, especially if extending mask wearing periods37. Outcomes such as mechanical integrity and performance of N95 masks should be observed when assessing decontamination strategies of N95 masks, as decontamination may come at a price; decontaminated but not effective masks are not useful or even dangerous. Ozog et al., 2020 indicated that a fit testing must be performed after decontamination and if a decontamination is achieved but the masks lost their integrity, further usage should be stopped20. Hence, both integrity and performance should be prioritized when implementing decontamination strategies, while not all included studies concomitantly tested decontamination and subsequent performance of the mask. Our study p...

    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.

  3. Version published to 10.1101/2020.07.11.20151399 on medRxiv