ABSTRACT
Importance: Knowledge of the longevity and breath of immune response to coronavirus infection is crucial for the development of next-generation vaccines to control the COVID-19 pandemic.
Subject(s)
Clinical Protocols , Coronavirus Infections , Emergency Medical Services , Infection Control/organization & administration , Pandemics , Personal Protective Equipment/supply & distribution , Pneumonia, Viral , Risk Assessment/methods , Surgical Procedures, Operative , Betacoronavirus/pathogenicity , COVID-19 , Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Coronavirus Infections/prevention & control , Critical Pathways/organization & administration , Critical Pathways/standards , Disease Transmission, Infectious/prevention & control , Emergency Medical Services/methods , Emergency Medical Services/organization & administration , Hong Kong , Humans , Pandemics/prevention & control , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , Pneumonia, Viral/prevention & control , SARS-CoV-2 , Surgical Procedures, Operative/classification , Surgical Procedures, Operative/methodsSubject(s)
COVID-19 , Contact Tracing/methods , Critical Pathways , Hospitalists , Infection Control Practitioners , Infection Control , Ophthalmology , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/prevention & control , Change Management , Critical Pathways/organization & administration , Critical Pathways/trends , Facilities and Services Utilization/organization & administration , Hong Kong/epidemiology , Humans , Infection Control/methods , Infection Control/organization & administration , Intersectoral Collaboration , Ophthalmology/methods , Ophthalmology/trends , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demand for disposable N95 respirators. Re-usable elastomeric respirators may provide a suitable alternative. Proprietary elastomeric respirator filters may become depleted as demand increases. An alternative may be the virus/bacterial filters used in anaesthesia circuits, if they can be adequately fitted onto the elastomeric respirators. In addition, many re-usable elastomeric respirators do not filter exhaled breaths. If used for sterile procedures, this would also require modification. We designed a 3D-printed adaptor that permits elastomeric respirators to interface with anaesthesia circuit filters and created a simple modification to divert exhaled breaths through the filter. We conducted a feasibility study evaluating the performance of our modified elastomeric respirators. A convenience sample of eight volunteers was recruited. Quantitative fit testing, respiratory rate and end-tidal carbon dioxide were recorded during fit testing exercises and after 1 h of wear. All eight volunteers obtained excellent quantitative fit testing throughout the trial. The mean (SD) end-tidal carbon dioxide was 4.5 (0.5) kPa and 4.6 (0.4) kPa at baseline and after 1 h of wear (p = 0.148). The mean (SD) respiratory rate was 17 (4) breaths.min-1 and 17 (3) breaths.min-1 at baseline and after 1 h of wear (p = 0.435). Four out of eight subjects self-reported discomfort; two reported facial pressure, one reported exhalation resistance and one reported transient dizziness on exertion. Re-usable elastomeric respirators to utilise anaesthesia circuit filters through a 3D-printed adaptor may be a potential alternative to disposable N95 respirators during the COVID-19 pandemic.