edit: My use case is entering public space, possibly air travel, where the presence of COVID-19 is unknown. I'm not treating or providing care to any persons who are knowingly infected.
* Finding 1: The committee could not identify or find any simple modifications to the manufacturing process that would permit disposable N95 respirators to be reused without increasing the likelihood of infection.
* Finding 2: Any method of decontaminating a disposable N95 filtering facepiece respirator must remove the viral threat, be harmless to the user, and not compromise the integrity of the various elements of the respirator. The committee found no method of decontamination that met all three criteria.
* Finding 3: The committee found no simple modifications to currently existing N95 filtering facepiece respirators that would obviate the need for fit-testing.
* Finding 4: Many versions of reusable (elastomeric) respirators on the market have facepieces that can be cleaned and reused. Some of these are available in full-facepiece versions that also offer eye protection and may prevent conjunctival transmission. These respirators can be reused by single or multiple wearers and, although they are more expensive than the disposable N95 respirators, should be considered as an alternative to filtering facepieces.
Obviously what this is saying is that, once contaminated, a mask can't be cleaned and made safe. But in real use, at least at the infection density we see right now, they're not getting contaminated with use. They're just dirty. Is it safer to keep using the same mask for a week or to use it once then go maskless? We just don't know.
This is a better way to phrase my question and more precisely what I'm trying to determine.
tbh it sounds safer to re-use a mask (that may or may not be contaminated) that not use a mask at all especially in a crowded public space.
You really don't want to be needing a ventilator for any reason in the next few weeks/months.
There are also non-disposable kinds, which are intended for reuse. However, it's not clear for how long they can be safely reused, particularly in the case of this novel coronavirus.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4699414/?fbclid...
These solutions with UV Light - are they consumer/DIY available? Or special equipment? etc.
You could probably (at your own risk) try just leaving them alone in a paper bag in a well ventilated, heated and not too humid place... For about 10 days... If they're not obviously damaged/spoiled... See CDC guidance in case of mask shortage.
If I'm not mistaken, this study seems to indicate it shouldn't remain active more than 9 days on pretty much most surfaces(source : https://www.journalofhospitalinfection.com/article/S0195-670...)
https://old.reddit.com/r/Coronavirus/comments/f88efh/is_this...