CDC releases guidance on the use of reusable elastomeric respirators

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released contingency and crisis capacity strategies for the cleaning, decontamination and use of reusable elastomeric respirators during surge demand situations. Elastomeric respirators have facepieces that are made of synthetic or natural rubber that can be repeatedly cleaned and reused and are alternatives to disposable filtering facepiece respirators.

The agency also updated its webpage on decontaminating and reusing disposable facepiece respirators to clarify the language on individual facility discretion to determine what decontamination method to use, certain decontamination methods and emergency use authorizations.