Striving to be the fittest: quantitative P2/N95 respirator fit test results among hospital staff during the COVID-19 pandemic

• Published in: Antimicrobial stewardship & healthcare epidemiology : ASHE Vol. 3; no. 1; p. e233
• Main Authors: Zhang, Melanie Meilun, Hackett, Liam, Smith, Jesse, Pritchard, Zoe, Casey, Matthew, Low, Caitlin, Buntine, Paul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Cambridge University Press 2023
• Subjects: Aerosols; Age; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Disease transmission; Employees; Gender; Hair; Health care; Health services; Masks; Medical personnel; Occupational health; Original; Pandemics; Personal protective equipment; Protective equipment; Public health; Respirators; Secondary analysis; United States > US
• ISSN: 2732-494X; 2732-494X
• DOI: 10.1017/ash.2023.503

To provide fit rates for specific P2/N95 respirators and compare these results by age, sex, clean-shaven status, and fit tester experience.
Exploratory audit involving secondary analysis of existing quantitative fit testing data.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare services across Australia implemented respiratory protection protocols. This study details healthcare workers' (HCWs) fit testing results from a large Victorian public health service.
Fit-tested employees of a large tertiary public health network.
Fit rates for ten individual P2/N95 respirators were calculated, and the effect of age, sex, clean-shaven status, and fit tester experience was examined via logistic regression.
4593 employees were included, with 97.98% successfully fitting at least one respirator. Males were found to have significantly increased odds of achieving fit success compared to females (OR 11.61 95%CI 1.60-84.10). Fit rates dropped by 4% with each 1-year age increase (OR 0.96 95%CI 0.94-0.98). Clean-shaven individuals were also more likely to achieve a fit compared to non-clean-shaved individuals (OR 79.23 95%CI 10.21-614.62). More experienced fit testers also yielded significantly higher fit rates (OR 3.95, 95%CI 2.34-6.67).
98% of staff achieved a successful fitting of at least one respirator, with three-panel flat fold models (Industree Trident, 3M Aura 9320A+, and 3M Aura 1870+) performing the most consistently. An individual's ability to achieve a successful fit was associated with; male sex, younger age, clean-shaven status, and fit tester experience.