The University of Oregon is host to a special sanitization facility, developed by an Ohio company. It's just one of three in the Pacific Northwest region, currently.
The Battelle Critical Care Decontamination System uses highly concentrated, vapor phase hydrogen peroxide to decontaminate used N95 face masks.
Eugene is one of 60 sites nationwide to house a Battelle unit, as local officials continue to stock personal protective equipment (PPE). Having sufficient pieces of PPE is seen as an essential element to any pandemic preparedness plan.
Lane County Public Health spokesperson Jason Davis shared the news at today’s COVID-19 briefing.
“There’s not very many of these nationwide," said Davis. "And we’re very fortunate to have that. It can process tens of thousands of pieces of PPE per day. And certainly it will be an advantage for us to have access to that locally.”
Both Oregon Governor Kate Brown and President Trump have praised the Battelle System. The FDA approved it shortly after Trump tweeted about its efficiency.
The other two sites in the Pacific Northwest with Battelle Critical Care Decontamination Systems are in Tacoma and Idaho Falls, Idaho.
WEB EXTRA: A Battelle video explains the process:
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