Allegheny Health Network (AHN), an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region, recently partnered with MSA Safety, a Pittsburgh-based company, to procure P100 industrial-grade respirators that can be disinfected and reused repeatedly.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a scarcity of disposable respirator masks, and AHN has been working to identify options to combat this shortage.
The Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration recently issued guidance that elastomeric respirators approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health can be an alternative to N95 disposable masks.
MSA manufactures the Advantage 200 LS Respirator, which is a reusable half-mask, tight-fitting facepiece that covers a person’s nose and mouth. The respirator filters out nearly 100 percent of airborne particulates, but it not generally used in health care settings.
AHN will acquire the masks for ICU and emergency department clinicians and caregivers of confirmed or suspected COVID-positive patients.
“MSA recognizes that fighting the spread of COVID-19 requires an all-hands-on-deck approach,” Steve Blanco, President of MSA’s Americas business segment, said. “We are pleased to be working alongside AHN and other leading health care providers to explore and deliver (personal protective equipment) solutions that are helping communities better respond to this unprecedented challenge.”