Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 decontamination by dry heat and ultraviolet treatment with a swine coronavirus as a surrogate. Issue 1 (March 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Singh, G.; Jorgenson, J.; Pringle, T.; Nelson, T.; Ramamoorthy, S.
• Is Part Of: Infection Prevention in Practice. Volume 3:Issue 1(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-03
• Subjects: Decontamination -- Ultraviolet -- Dry heat -- PEDV -- SARS-CoV-2 -- PPE; Infection -- Prevention -- Periodicals; Infection Control; Infection -- Prevention; Electronic journals; Periodical; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 616.9045
• DOI: 10.1016/j.infpip.2020.100103
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2590-0889

Abstract

Summary: The critical need for reliable methods to validate decontamination protocols for personal protective equipment (PPE) for re-use during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is limited by the need for specialized containment facilities to handle the virus. Hence, we have herein validated the use of a swine coronavirus as a surrogate, and tested the effectiveness of dry heat and ultraviolet (UV) rays for PPE decontamination. Exposure of experimentally contaminated N95 masks and hospital gowns to 60°C for 20 min, and UVC at 1800 mJ/cm 2 resulted in a 4-log reduction and inactivation of the surrogate virus. This study provides a novel alternative to validate PPE reprocessing methods.