Study on the Testing Method to Determine the Performance of Personal Respiratory Protection Equipment against a Viral Aerosol

Abstract

Respiratory illnesses are increasingly recognized as a growing concern for healthcare workers (HCWs) and patients. The 2003 hospital-based outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) has once again highlighted the vulnerability of HCWs to aerosol-transmitted viral infections. Personal respiratory protective equipment was one of the key means for the HCWs to avoid nosocomial transmission of the virus. This article studied a testing method for determining the performance of personal respiratory protection equipment against a viral aerosol. Full-mask respirators with HEPA filters were selected for this study. Phage f2 was used as a surrogate for a viral pathogen. A viral aerosol was generated and then sampled in front of and behind the test respirators, allowing a percentage efficiency value to be calculated against viral aerosols. HEPA-filtered respirators demonstrated a high filtration efficiency of >99.99% and can protect the wearers against the viral aerosol transmission. This test methodology can be used to assess the filtration efficacy of personal respiratory protection equipment against a viral aerosol.

Keywords

Nosocomial transmission personal respiratory protection equipment viral aerosol testing method

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