AMHERST, MASS. (WHDH) - The short supply of masks continues to be an issue at hospitals all across the Bay State, but now, a researcher at the University of Massachusetts Amherst says he has found a way to ease the worry.
Richard Peltier, a professor of environmental health sciences at the university concluded a study this week from his on-campus lab that has proven that regular sterlization of the essential N-95 respirator masks is effective in keeping health professionals and patients safe from COVID-19.
“Ordinarily these are disposable masks, but we are not in ordinary times,” Peltier said.
After sterilization, the masks are still effective in blocking the microscopic germs they are designed to.
“They do work as expected, as we would hope,” Peltier said. “The results themselves were boring but that is precisely what we wanted to see. They work as designed after they have been sterilized.”
The professor emphasized that these findings should serve as a temporary solution to the massive problem — nothing more.
“This is a stop-gap solution to enable some of these front-line medical workers to be able to remain safe,” he explained.
7NEWS spoke with a healthcare worker, who wished to remain anonymous, who said she is not comforted by these findings and her message to government officials remains the same.
“For everyone who is listening, the politicians, please provide us enough masks and PPE so we can do our work, please,” she implored.
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