ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KOAT-TV) — Scientists and clinical staff at the University of New Mexico have started to sterilize and reuse single-use personal protective equipment.
The effort joins other universities and hospitals around the country in a bid to salvage dwindling supplies amid the coronavirus pandemic.
KOAT-TV reported that medical facilities across the country are looking for alternatives, while others are using a sterilization technique to help with decreasing supplies.
Officials say the sterilization process can take up to four hours, but 1,000 masks can be sterilized at a time. N95 masks and protective eyewear can be repurposed up to 20 times.