Derraik, José G. B.Anderson, William A.Connelly, Elizabeth AlvarezAnderson, Yvonne2022-06-092022-06-092022-08-22https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17176117http://hdl.handle.net/10012/18365In the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, hospitals are often stretched beyond capacity. There are widespread reports of dwindling supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), particularly N95-type filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs), which are paramount to protect frontline medical/nursing staff, and to minimize further spread of the virus. We carried out a rapid review to summarize the existing literature on the viability of SARS-CoV-2, the efficacy of key potential disinfection procedures against the virus (specifically ultraviolet light and heat), and the impact of these procedures on FFR performance, material integrity, and/or fit. In light of the recent discovery of SARS-CoV-2 and limited associated research, our review also focused on the closely related SARS-CoV-1. We propose a possible whole-of-PPE disinfection solution for potential reuse that could be rapidly instituted in many health care settings, without significant investments in equipment.enAttribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/coronavirusCOVID-19decontaminationdisinfectionfiltering facepiece respiratorsheatN95personal protective equipmentreuseSARS-CoV-1SARS-CoV-2viabilitytemperatureultraviolet lightUVCArticle