COVID-19 and CNP Technology

OHD takes the safety and health of our customers very seriously. With this in mind, we believe it is important to address concerns about possible cross contamination during fit testing. The risk of cross contamination resulting from the use of an OHD fit testing device that utilizes CNP technology is very minimal. Fit Testing itself DOES NOT increase or decrease a person’s risk of exposure to COVID-19. The real threat is coming into close contact with an infected person no matter the location or activity.

The QuantiFit2 (Quantifit/Fit Tester 3000) does not trap air in its system either before, during or after a fit test. The QuantiFit2 does not push air into the mask, instead it pulls air away from the test subjects mask and vents it out of the system. This means that the chances of contaminated air being in the system are, at worst, no more likely than contaminated air being in the surrounding environment. If an infected person were to be fit tested, there is no more risk of contaminated air being trapped and subsequently released on a succeeding fit test than there is just by walking into the fit test area.

The QuantiFit2 and accessories are subject to surface contamination like any item in the test area. Before and after fit test steps, when the test subject is wearing a respirator, his or her inhalation is coming through inlets in the OHD adapter kit and the vast majority of exhalation should travel through the exhalation valve and out of the respirator. There are many potential mask and adapter configurations. The chance could exist in a configuration that exhaled breath could make contact with internal areas of an adapter kit. If it is suspected this has happened, disinfection would be appropriate.

For protection against the transference of surface contamination, all possibly contaminated surfaces the operator or subjects may contact need to be disinfected. The adapter kits may be cleaned either by immersion, spray or wipe from an EPA approved disinfectant as these have been shown to efficiently inactivate over 99% of microorganisms (to include COVID-19) within a minute. The adapter should be dry before use in a fit test. The QuantiFit2, tubing and trigger button should be carefully wiped down with an EPA approved disinfectant.

If there is a threat of contamination, the fit test operator should take precaution when carrying out fit testing according to the guidance provided by the CDC.

If masks are shared for fit testing, the fit test operator should follow OSHA 1910.134 Appendix B-2 Respirator Cleaning Procedures or the manufacturer’s guidelines for the disinfection of the respirator to avoid any cross contamination.