Increasing Respiratory Protection for the Next Pandemic

Major infectious disease pandemics over the past 20 years have required the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimize transmission risk, particularly for healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for patients as well as for the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. These events create high demand for PPE, including disposable masks and N95 respirators, often leading to local or even global shortages that leave people less protected. Despite their importance, respiratory masks have seen little innovation since the mid-1990s, and the majority of respiratory PPE both stockpiled and currently in use is single-use and disposable. The demands for respiratory PPE during another pandemic, particularly early on, likely will far exceed both the supply in the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) and the amount that can be produced by scaling up manufacturing. 

This project aims to: 

1. Examine the development, manufacture, approval, and stockpiling of better respiratory protection for healthcare workers, the nonhealthcare workforce, and the public in the United States.  
2. Inform a new national strategy that promotes the stockpiling of reusable respirators by the US government, encourages greater adoption by the healthcare sector, incentivizes design innovation, and creates a stronger demand signal for industry. 
3. Show how reusable respirators can address supply chain shocks, reduce costs, and offer better protection for workers in large-scale emergencies. 

Widespread use of effective stockpiled and commercially available reusable respirators can save lives and reduce economic damage during severe respiratory emergencies, as well as mitigate transmission of common respiratory pathogens like influenza and respiratory syncytial virus. Our research underscores the importance of strategic planning to ensure a ready supply of high-quality respiratory protection devices for future pandemics. 

Project team lead: Eric Toner, MD 

Project team: Tener Goodwin Veenema, PhD, MPH, MS, RN, FAAN; Caitlin Walker; Joel Straus; Melissa Hopkins, JD; Tom Inglesby, MD; Anita Cicero, JD 

Project supported by: Open Philanthropy, Effective Giving

Resources:

• The Major Role of Reusable Respirators in Increasing Respiratory Protection for Future Infectious Disease Emergencies: A Stakeholder Discussion (PDF), released July 2024
  • Reusable Respirators Infographic (PDF)
• Masks and Respirators for the 21st Century: Policy Changes Needed to Save Lives and Prevent Societal Disruption (PDF), released October 2021