Coronavirus: Disease Control

(asked on 6th July 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 21 June 2021 to Question 10614 on Coronavirus: Disease Control, how representatives of industry can participate in such efficacy trials; and what steps (a) his Department and (b) the Health and Safety Executive is taking to explore the potential merits of using (i) photohydroionisation and (ii) other technologies to decontaminate single use FFP3 masks to extend their use.


Answered by
Jo Churchill Portrait
Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This question was answered on 26th July 2021

At the start of 2020, a review of technologies to decontaminate single use personal protective equipment (PPE) was undertaken. UVC was among the technologies assessed as it is used for sterilisation of pathogens in other settings. However, there are no regulatory approvals for UVC in healthcare settings, so HPV was selected for the pilot phase. This pilot found HPV was not effective, so further testing was stood down.

Given the resilience we have built through on-shore production of single use PPE and the piloting of reusable PPE, there are no current plans for further investigative work.

Reticulating Splines