Recent Advances in Metal-Based Antimicrobial Coatings for High-Touch Surfaces.

International interest in metal-based antimicrobial coatings to control the spread of bacteria, fungi, and viruses via high contact human touch surfaces are growing at an exponential rate. This interest recently reached an all-time high with the outbreak of the deadly COVID-19 disease, which has already claimed the lives of more than 5 million people worldwide. This global pandemic has highlighted the major role that antimicrobial coatings can play in controlling the spread of deadly viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and scientists and engineers are now working harder than ever to develop the next generation of antimicrobial materials. This article begins with a review of three discrete microorganism-killing phenomena of contact-killing surfaces, nanoprotrusions, and superhydrophobic surfaces. The antimicrobial properties of metals such as copper (Cu), silver (Ag), and zinc (Zn) are reviewed along with the effects of combining them with titanium dioxide (TiO2) to create a binary or ternary contact-killing surface coatings. The self-cleaning and bacterial resistance of purely structural superhydrophobic surfaces and the potential of physical surface nanoprotrusions to damage microbial cells are then considered. The article then gives a detailed discussion on recent advances in attempting to combine these individual phenomena to create super-antimicrobial metal-based coatings with binary or ternary killing potential against a broad range of microorganisms, including SARS-CoV-2, for high-touch surface applications such as hand rails, door plates, and water fittings on public transport and in healthcare, care home and leisure settings as well as personal protective equipment commonly used in hospitals and in the current COVID-19 pandemic.

"Don, doff, discard" to "don, doff, decontaminate"-FFR and mask integrity and inactivation of a SARS-CoV-2 surrogate and a norovirus following multiple vaporised hydrogen peroxide-, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation-, and dry heat decontaminations.

BACKGROUND: As the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic accelerates, the supply of personal protective equipment remains under strain. To combat shortages, re-use of surgical masks and filtering facepiece respirators has been recommended. Prior decontamination is paramount to the re-use of these typically single-use only items and, without compromising their integrity, must guarantee inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 and other contaminating pathogens. AIM: We provide information on the effect of time-dependent passive decontamination (infectivity loss over time during room temperature storage in a breathable bag) and evaluate inactivation of a SARS-CoV-2 surrogate and a non-enveloped model virus as well as mask and respirator integrity following active multiple-cycle vaporised hydrogen peroxide (VHP), ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), and dry heat (DH) decontamination. METHODS: Masks and respirators, inoculated with infectious porcine respiratory coronavirus or murine norovirus, were submitted to passive decontamination or single or multiple active decontamination cycles; viruses were recovered from sample materials and viral titres were measured via TCID50 assay. In parallel, filtration efficiency tests and breathability tests were performed according to EN standard 14683 and NIOSH regulations. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Infectious porcine respiratory coronavirus and murine norovirus remained detectable on masks and respirators up to five and seven days of passive decontamination. Single and multiple cycles of VHP-, UVGI-, and DH were shown to not adversely affect bacterial filtration efficiency of masks. Single- and multiple UVGI did not adversely affect respirator filtration efficiency, while VHP and DH induced a decrease in filtration efficiency after one or three decontamination cycles. Multiple cycles of VHP-, UVGI-, and DH slightly decreased airflow resistance of masks but did not adversely affect respirator breathability. VHP and UVGI efficiently inactivated both viruses after five, DH after three, decontamination cycles, permitting demonstration of a loss of infectivity by more than three orders of magnitude. This multi-disciplinal approach provides important information on how often a given PPE item may be safely reused.

Investigation into the presence and transfer of microbiomes within a forensic laboratory setting.

Microbial profiling within forensic science is an emerging field that may have applications in the identification of individuals using microbial signatures. It is important to determine if microbial transfer may occur within a forensic laboratory setting using current standard operating procedures (SOPs) for nuclear DNA recovery, to assess the suitability of such procedures for microbial profiling and establish the potential limitations of microbial profiling for forensic purposes. This preliminary study investigated the presence and potential transfer of human-associated microbiomes within a forensic laboratory. Swabs of laboratory surfaces, external surfaces of personal protective equipment (PPE) and equipment were taken before and after mock examinations of cotton swatches, which harboured microbiota transferred from direct hand-contact. Microbial profiles obtained from these samples were compared to reference profiles obtained from the participants, cotton swatches and the researcher to detect microbial transfer from the individuals and determine potential source contributions. The results revealed an apparent transfer of microbiota to the examined swatches, laboratory equipment and surfaces from the participants and/or researcher following the mock examinations, highlighting potential contamination issues regarding microbial profiling when using current laboratory SOPs for nuclear DNA recovery, and cleaning.

Peracetic acid-based disinfectant is the most appropriate solution for a biological decontamination procedure of responders and healthcare workers in the field environment.

AIMS: An effective decontamination procedure of personnel wearing personal protective equipment is required by CBRN responders and healthcare workers when dealing with biological warfare agents or natural outbreaks caused by highly contagious pathogens. This study aimed to identify critical factors affecting the efficacy of peracetic acid (PAA)-based disinfectants and products containing either hydrogen peroxide or sodium hypochlorite under the same conditions. METHODS AND RESULTS: The influence of concentration, application (contact) time, erroneous human behaviour, interfering substance, technical assets and weather conditions on disinfection efficacy against Bacillus subtilis spores were assessed in 14 experimental groups. Residual contamination of protective suits was measured to provide responders with readily understandable information (up to 100 colony forming units classified a suit as disinfected). Weather conditions, short application time and erroneous human behaviour substantially affected the effectiveness of PAAs (P < 0·05). Non-PAA-based disinfectants (either liquid or foam) did not reach comparable efficacy (P < 0·001). CONCLUSIONS: Peracetic acid was effective at a concentration of 6400-8200 ppm and an application time of 4 min. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The study provides operationally relevant data for the use of PAA-based disinfectants in preparedness planning and management of biological incidents and natural outbreaks.

Amount of contamination on the face shield of endoscopists during upper endoscopy between patients in two positions: A randomized study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic, esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) has been recognized as an aerosol-generating procedure. This study aimed to systematically compare the degree of face shield contamination between endoscopists who performed EGD on patients lying in the left lateral decubitus (LL) and prone positions. METHODS: This is a randomized trial in patients scheduled for EGD between April and June 2020. Eligible 212 patients were randomized with 1:1 allocation. Rapid adenosine triphosphate test was used to determine contamination level using relative light units of greater than 200 as a cutoff value. All eligible patients were randomized to lie in either the LL or prone position during EGD. The primary outcome was the rate of contamination on the endoscopist's face shield. RESULTS: The majority of patients were female (63%), with a mean age of 60 ± 13 years. Baseline characteristics were comparable between the two groups. There was no face shield contamination after EGD in either group. The number of coughs in the LL group was higher than the prone group (1.38 ± 1.8 vs 0.89 ± 1.4, P = 0.03). The mean differences in relative light units on the face shield before and after EGD in the LL and prone groups were 9.9 ± 20.9 and 4.1 ± 6 (P = 0.008), respectively. CONCLUSION: As measured by the adenosine triphosphate test, performing diagnostic EGD does not lead to contamination on the face shield of the endoscopist. However, placing patients in the prone position may further mitigate the risk.

Development of Triboelectroceutical Fabrics for Potential Applications in Self-Sanitizing Personal Protective Equipment.

Attachment of microbial bodies including the corona virus on the surface of personal protective equipment (PPE) is found to be potential threat of spreading infection. Here, we report the development of a triboelectroceutical fabric (TECF) consisting of commonly available materials, namely, nylon and silicone rubber (SR), for the fabrication of protective gloves on the nitrile platform as model wearable PPE. A small triboelectric device (2 cm × 2 cm) consisting of SR and nylon on nitrile can generate more than 20 V transient or 41 µW output power, which is capable of charging a capacitor up to 65 V in only ∼50 s. The importance of the present work relies on the TECF-led antimicrobial activity through the generation of an electric current in saline water. The fabrication of TECF-based functional prototype gloves can generate hypochlorite ions through the formation of electrolyzed water upon rubbing them with saline water. Further, computational modelling has been employed to reveal the optimum structure and mechanistic pathway of antimicrobial hypochlorite generation. Detailed antimicrobial assays have been performed to establish effectiveness of such TECF-based gloves to reduce the risk from life-threatening pathogen spreading. The present work provides the rationale to consider the studied TECF, or other materials with comparable properties, as a material of choice for the development of self-sanitizing PPE in the fight against microbial infections including COVID-19.

Biosafety in Dental Practices Versus COVID-19 Outbreak

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the dentists' knowledge about biosafety considering the SARS-CoV-2 and the risks of increasing the COVID-19 outbreak by dental practices during the pandemic in Brazil. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed by internet-based snowball sampling technique. A questionnaire with questions about different content was applied, and then analyzed the following two parameters: participants' Brazilian region and professional's specialty. Results: A total of 413 e-questionnaires from all Brazilian regions were considered valid. There were no significant differences among biosafety measures adopted by participants from different Brazilian regions (p≥0.05), except for those from North region, which have applied less previous oral antisepsis, temperature screening, and specific anamnesis tracking COVID-19 symptoms (p<0.05). The unique use of N95 mask was positively associated with North region (p<0.05). Expert participants of Groups 2 (oral surgery and correlate areas) and 4 (orthodontics, oral radiology and facial jaw orthopedics) were more updated than other ones (p<0.05). Conclusion: The biosafety protocols applied by participants were not adequate for the epidemiologic status of COVID-19 in each region of Brazil, from 13th May to 17th June 2020. Specialties linked to microbiology area or structured social networks have better applied preventive measures for COVID-19.

Pretreated household materials carry similar filtration protection against pathogens when compared with surgical masks.

OBJECTIVE: The past 4 months, the emergence and spread of novel 2019 SARS-Cov-2 (COVID-19) has led to a global pandemic which is rapidly depleting supplies of personal protective equipment worldwide. There are currently over 1.6 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide which has resulted in more the 100,000 deaths. As these numbers grow daily, hospitals are being forced to reuse surgical masks in hopes of conserving their dwindling supply. Since COVID-19 will most likely have effects that last for many months, our nationwide shortage of masks poses a long term issue that must be addressed immediately. METHODS: Based on a previous study by Quan et al., a salt-based soaking strategy has been reported to enhance the filtration ability of surgical masks. We propose a similar soaking process which uses materials widely available in anyone's household. We tested this method of pretreating a variety of materials with a salt-based solution by a droplet test using fluorescently stained nanoparticles similar in size to the COVID-19 virus. RESULTS: In this study, we found that paper towels and surgical masks pretreated with the salt-based solution showed a noticeable increase in filtration of nanoparticles similar in size to the COVID-19 virus. We also show that the TWEEN20 used by Quan et al. is not a critical component for the solution, and using salt alone in solution still provides a dramatically increased level of protection. CONCLUSIONS: We believe this method will allow for healthcare workers to create a disposable added layer of protection to their surgical masks, N95s, or homemade masks by using household available products. Adoption of this method may play an essential role in ensuring the safety of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and any pandemics that may arise in the future.

Patient to healthcare personnel transmission of MRSA in the non-intensive care unit setting.

The transmission rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to gloves or gowns of healthcare personnel (HCP) caring for MRSA patients in a non-intensive care unit setting was 5.4%. Contamination rates were higher among HCP performing direct patient care and when patients had detectable MRSA on their body. These findings may inform risk-based contact precautions.

Evaluation of Sporicidal Disinfectants for the Disinfection of Personal Protective Equipment During Biological Hazards.

A fast, effective, and safe disinfection of personal protective equipment (PPE) is vitally important for emergency forces involved in biological hazards. This study aimed to investigate a broad range of disinfectants to improve the established disinfection procedure. We analyzed the efficacy of chlorine-, peracetic acid-, and oxygen-based disinfectants against Bacillus spores on PPE. Therefore, spores of different Bacillus species were exposed to disinfectants on PPE material by using a standardized procedure covering the dried spores with disinfectants and applying mechanical distribution. Efficacy of disinfectants was quantified by determining the reduction factor (log10 levels) and number of viable spores left afterward. The chlorine-based granulate Hypochlorit CA G (2% chlorine) sufficiently inactivated Bacillus spores of risk groups 1 and 2, even with temperatures ranging from -20 to 35°C. Wofasteril® SC super (1.75% peracetic acid) achieved a reliable reduction of risk groups 1 and 2 and even fully virulent Bacillus spores by ≥5 log10 levels on PPE. With this, Hypochlorit-CA G and Wofasteril® SC super proved to be promising alternatives to the previously proven and widely used peracetic acid compound Wofasteril® (2% peracetic acid) for the disinfection of PPE when bacterial spores are known to be the contaminating agent. These results will help to improve the disinfection of PPE during biological hazards by providing new data on promising alternative compounds.

Biocide Resistance and Transmission of Clostridium difficile Spores Spiked onto Clinical Surfaces from an American Health Care Facility.

Clostridium difficile is the primary cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea globally. In unfavorable environments, the organism produces highly resistant spores which can survive microbicidal insult. Our previous research determined the ability of C. difficile spores to adhere to clinical surfaces, finding that spores had markedly different hydrophobic properties and adherence abilities. Investigation into the effect of the microbicide sodium dichloroisocyanurate on C. difficile spore transmission revealed that sublethal concentrations increased spore adherence without reducing viability. The present study examined the ability of spores to transmit across clinical surfaces and their response to an in-use disinfection concentration of 1,000 ppm of chlorine-releasing agent sodium dichloroisocyanurate. In an effort to understand if these surfaces contribute to nosocomial spore transmission, surgical isolation gowns, hospital-grade stainless steel, and floor vinyl were spiked with 1 × 106 spores/ml of two types of C. difficile spore preparations: crude spores and purified spores. The hydrophobicity of each spore type versus clinical surface was examined via plate transfer assay and scanning electron microscopy. The experiment was repeated, and spiked clinical surfaces were exposed to 1,000 ppm sodium dichloroisocyanurate at the recommended 10-min contact time. Results revealed that the hydrophobicity and structure of clinical surfaces can influence spore transmission and that outer spore surface structures may play a part in spore adhesion. Spores remained viable on clinical surfaces after microbicide exposure at the recommended disinfection concentration, demonstrating ineffectual sporicidal action. This study showed that C. difficile spores can transmit and survive between various clinical surfaces despite appropriate use of microbicides.IMPORTANCEClostridium difficile is a health care-acquired organism and the causative agent of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Its spores are implicated in fecal to oral transmission from contaminated surfaces in the health care environment due to their adherent nature. Contaminated surfaces are cleaned using high-strength chemicals to remove and kill the spores; however, despite appropriate infection control measures, there is still high incidence of C. difficile infection in patients in the United States. Our research examined the effect of a high-strength biocide on spores of C. difficile which had been spiked onto a range of clinically relevant surfaces, including isolation gowns, stainless steel, and floor vinyl. This study found that C. difficile spores were able to survive exposure to appropriate concentrations of biocide, highlighting the need to examine the effectiveness of infection control measures to prevent spore transmission and to consider the prevalence of biocide resistance when decontaminating health care surfaces.

Decontamination of Personal Protective Equipment.

Exploratory field analyses of the inactivation capacity of disinfectants on contaminated personal protective equipment (PPE) are required to select a suitable surrogate for biohazardous agents like spores of Bacillus anthracis. The objectives of our study were (1) the determination of an appropriate surrogate for the inactivation of spores of B. anthracis with peracetic acid (PAA), and (2) application of optimized inactivation conditions for an effective decontamination of PPE with PAA under field conditions. For inactivation studies, B. anthracis spores from different strains and B. thuringiensis spores were fixed by air drying on carriers prepared from PPE fabric. Time and concentration studies with PAA-based disinfectants revealed that the spores of the B. thuringiensis strain DSM 350 showed an inactivation profile comparable to that of the spores of the B. anthracis strain with the highest stability, implying that B. thuringiensis can serve as an appropriate surrogate. Rapid (3 to 5 minutes) and effective surface decontamination was achieved with 2% PAA/0.2% surfactant. In field studies, PPE contaminated with spores of B. thuringiensis was treated with the disinfectant. Optimizing the decontamination technique revealed that spraying in combination with brushing was effective within 5 minutes of exposure.

Análise bacteriológica de mãos, região orofaríngea e equipamentos de proteção individual dos manipuladores de alimentos de um Restaurante Universitário no Rio de Janeiro / Bacteriological analysis of hands, orofaringea region and individual protection equipment of food manipulators of a university restaurant in Rio de Janeiro

Objetivo do trabalho, realizar análise bacteriológica de mãos, região nasal e orofaríngea e dos Equipamentos de Proteção Individual dos manipuladores de alimentos e correlacionar com as ações analisadas ao longo da cadeia produtiva. Pesquisa bacteriológica e observacional realizada no ano de 2016, em Restaurante Universitário/RJ, com 17 manipuladores, para contagem de Staphylococcus coagulase positiva, pesquisa de Salmonella spp. e Número Mais Provável de Escherichia coli totais e análise das ações dos manipuladores durante as atividades laborais. Na pesquisa bacteriológica para mãos e Equipamentos de Proteção Individual, obteve-se 22,4% de resultados positivos para as bactérias pesquisadas, com exceção da pesquisa para Salmonella com ausência em todas as análises; quanto a região nasal e orofaríngea, 35,3% foram positivas para Staphyloccocus spp. Conclui-se que o serviço possui falhas nos controles higiênico sanitários dos manipuladores, com riscos à saúde do consumidor.

Análise microbiológica de manipuladores e Equipamentos De Proteção Individual em lactário hospitalar / Microbiological analysis of manipulators and personal protective equipments in hospital lactary

Este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a presença de microrganismos nas mãos, regiões naso e orofaríngea, Equipamentos de Proteção Individual dos manipuladores de alimentos e do ambiente no setor de lactário de um hospital público em Niterói /RJ. Na pesquisa aplicada e experimental, realizaram-se as seguintes análises microbiológicas: contagens de Staphylococcus coagulase positiva, Bactérias Heterotróficas Aeróbios Mesófilas (CBHAM), fungos, Número Mais Provável (NMP) de Enterococcous spp., pesquisa de Salmonella spp., NMP de Coliformes a 35º e Escherichia coli. Observou-se nas amostras coletadas dos lactaristas e dos EPIs um elevado crescimento para Staphylococcus coagulase positiva (79% e 100%), Enterococcous spp. (58% e 38%), CBHAM (96% e 86%) e fungos (100% e 47%); nas amostras de ambiente os resultados para contagem CBHAM e fungos foram elevados. Os resultados indicaram a necessidade de revisão das técnicas de higiene pessoal e controles sanitários para o ambiente.

A microbiological assessment of sterile surgical helmet systems using particle counts and culture plates: recommendations for safe use whilst scrubbing.

BACKGROUND: Infection occurs in 2-4% of arthroplasty cases, and identifying potential sources of infection can help to reduce infection rates. The aim of this study was to identify the impact and potential for the contamination of hands and gowns whilst scrubbing using sterile surgical helmet systems (SSHSs). METHODS: A colony-forming unit (cfu) is a pathogenic particle of 0.5-5 µm. Standard arthroplasty hoods and SSHSs, with and without the fan switched on, were tested for a 3-min exposure (to represent scrubbing time) on three subjects and a mannequin with concurrent particle counts and culture plates. RESULTS: All SSHSs were positive for Gram-positive cocci, with a mean colony count of 410 cfu/m2. Background counts were lower for laminar flow areas [mean 0.7 particles/m3; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0-1.4] than scrub areas (mean 131.5 particles/m3; 95% CI 123.5-137.9; P=0.0003). However, neither grew any bacteria with a 2-min exposure. The background count increased 3.7 times with the fan switched on (total P=0.004, cfu P=0.047), and all helmets had positive cultures (mean 36 cfu/m2). There were no positive cultures with the standard arthroplasty hood or the SSHS with the fan switched off. In laminar flow areas, all cultures were negative and particle counts were low. CONCLUSIONS: Sterile gloves and gowns can be contaminated when scrubbing with the SSHS fan switched on. It is recommended that the fan should remain switched off when scrubbing until the hood and gown are in place, ideally in a laminar flow environment.

Bacterial burden is associated with increased transmission to health care workers from patients colonized with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus.

BACKGROUND: Health care workers (HCWs) are significant vectors for transmission of multidrug-resistant organisms among patients in intensive care units (ICUs). We studied ICU patients on contact precautions, colonized with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), to assess whether bacterial burden is associated with transmission to HCWs' gloves or gowns, a surrogate outcome for transmission to subsequent patients. METHODS: From this prospective cohort study, we analyzed 96 VRE-colonized ICU patients and 5 HCWs per patient. We obtained samples from patients' perianal area, skin, and stool to assess bacterial burden and cultured HCWs' gloves and gowns for VRE after patient care. RESULTS: Seventy-one of 479 (15%) HCW-patient interactions led to contamination of HCWs' gloves or gowns with VRE. HCW contamination was associated with VRE burden on the perianal swab (odds ratio [OR], 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19, 1.57), skin swabs (OR, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.51, 3.02), and in stool (OR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.39, 2.72). Compared with colonization with Enterococcus faecalis, colonization with Enterococcus faecium was associated with higher bacterial burden and higher odds of transmission to HCWs. CONCLUSIONS: We show that ICU patients with higher bacterial burden are more likely to transmit VRE to HCWs. These findings have implications for VRE decolonization and other infection control interventions.

Test methods for estimating the efficacy of the fast-acting disinfectant peracetic acid on surfaces of personal protective equipment.

AIMS: The work aimed at developing and evaluating practically relevant methods for testing of disinfectants on contaminated personal protective equipment (PPE). METHODS AND RESULTS: Carriers were prepared from PPE fabrics and contaminated with Bacillus subtilis spores. Peracetic acid (PAA) was applied as a suitable disinfectant. In method 1, the contaminated carrier was submerged in PAA solution; in method 2, the contaminated area was covered with PAA; and in method 3, PAA, preferentially combined with a surfactant, was dispersed as a thin layer. In each method, 0·5-1% PAA reduced the viability of spores by a factor of ≥6 log10 within 3 min. The technique of the most realistic method 3 proved to be effective at low temperatures and also with a high organic load. Vaccinia virus and Adenovirus were inactivated with 0·05-0·1% PAA by up to ≥6 log10 within 1 min. The cytotoxicity of ricin was considerably reduced by 2% PAA within 15 min of exposure. CONCLUSIONS: PAA/detergent mixture enabled to cover hydrophobic PPE surfaces with a thin and yet effective disinfectant layer. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The test methods are objective tools for estimating the biocidal efficacy of disinfectants on hydrophobic flexible surfaces.

Contamination of Health Care Personnel During Removal of Personal Protective Equipment.

IMPORTANCE: Contamination of the skin and clothing of health care personnel during removal of personal protective equipment (PPE) contributes to dissemination of pathogens and places personnel at risk for infection. OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency and sites of contamination on the skin and clothing of personnel during PPE removal and to evaluate the effect of an intervention on the frequency of contamination. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We conducted a point-prevalence study and quasi-experimental intervention from October 28, 2014, through March 31, 2015. Data analysis began November 17, 2014, and ended April 21, 2015. Participants included a convenience sample of health care personnel from 4 Northeast Ohio hospitals who conducted simulations of contaminated PPE removal using fluorescent lotion and a cohort of health care personnel from 7 study units in 1 medical center that participated in a quasi-experimental intervention that included education and practice in removal of contaminated PPE with immediate visual feedback based on fluorescent lotion contamination of skin and clothing. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcomes were the frequency and sites of contamination on skin and clothing of personnel after removal of contaminated gloves or gowns at baseline vs after the intervention. A secondary end point focused on the correlation between contamination of skin with fluorescent lotion and bacteriophage MS2, a nonpathogenic, nonenveloped virus. RESULTS: Of 435 glove and gown removal simulations, contamination of skin or clothing with fluorescent lotion occurred in 200 (46.0%), with a similar frequency of contamination among the 4 hospitals (range, 42.5%-50.3%). Contamination occurred more frequently during removal of contaminated gloves than gowns (52.9% vs 37.8%, P = .002) and when lapses in technique were observed vs not observed (70.3% vs 30.0%, P < .001). The intervention resulted in a reduction in skin and clothing contamination during glove and gown removal (60.0% before the intervention vs 18.9% after, P < .001) that was sustained after 1 and 3 months (12.0% at both time points, P < .001 compared with before the intervention). During simulations of contaminated glove removal, the frequency of skin contamination was similar with fluorescent lotion and bacteriophage MS2 (58.0% vs 52.0%, P = .45). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Contamination of the skin and clothing of health care personnel occurs frequently during removal of contaminated gloves or gowns. Educational interventions that include practice with immediate visual feedback on skin and clothing contamination can significantly reduce the risk of contamination during removal of PPE.

The Ebola disinfection booth: evaluation of an enclosed ultraviolet light booth for disinfection of contaminated personal protective equipment prior to removal.

A portable booth designed to disinfect full-body coverage protective equipment before removal using ultraviolet-C radiation resulted in at least 3 log reductions in bacteriophage MS2 and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus within 3 minutes. The booth could be useful for disinfection of contaminated protective equipment before removal during care of Ebola patients.