Unlike the current masks used by hospital employees, the new masks can be reused because of an antimicrobial coating on the surface that kills germs on contact. Traditional masks just collect the germs.
Hospital staff can also move between patients with the same mask and not risk cross-contamination, Skoglund said.
The N95 respirators cost a buck or two per mask depending on the size of the order which is more than traditional masks cost.
According to SafeLife, headquartered in San Diego, the cost difference is because they make a premium product.
For Scripps Health, employee safety and ease of use were key in the decision to use the masks, not cost.
"The benefits outweigh the costs to a certain extent," said Skoglund. "It will become very effective if we have to move to extreme measures."
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