Allegheny Health Network supplements N95 masks with reusable respirators for coronavirus patients

Health care workers in the Allegheny Health Network have started using protective gear that is expected to replace thousands of N95 masks.

AHN has partnered with Pittsburgh-based company MSA Safety to secure a shipment of P100 industrial-grade respirators, the health network announced Thursday.

The masks are reusable and can be disinfected. When the coronavirus subsides, the masks can be stored and used again if needed, officials said.

They will be used by intensive care unit and emergency department staff, as well as caregivers working with patients who are confirmed or suspected to have the coronavirus, throughout the AHN system.

The MSA Advantage 200 LS Respirator style was selected by AHN staff for its fit and comfort, said Dr. Sri Chalikonda, AHN’s chief medical operations officer.

Employees who are currently using multiple N95 masks per day will be prioritized, he said.

The initial shipment includes 4,000 masks.

That supply is enough for now, given that Pittsburgh has not seen a big surge of patients, Chalikonda said.

“But if we were to see the type of patient volumes that New York or Detroit is seeing, then the expectation would be we would need many more, and we are preparing for that,” he said.

AHN launched a separate program this week that allows health care workers to sterilize and reuse N95 masks up to three times.

“We wanted to make that more of a last resort,” Chalikonda said.

The P100 masks, which are not typically used in health care settings but are approved for industrial use by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), cover a person’s nose and mouth, and are equipped with two removable filter cartridges.

They will be sterilized between uses.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the use of such respirators in health care settings during the coronavirus pandemic in early March.