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Facing Shortage, FDA Further Relaxes Face Mask, Face Shield And Respirator Guidance

As the US heads into a COVID-19 storm with grave concerns about the lack of face masks and respirators for health care workers, the FDA has further relaxed federal oversight for such products, giving more responsibility to employers

A medical technician in full protective gear collects a sample from a mature man sitting inside his car as part of the operations of a coronavirus mobile testing unit.
• Source: Shutterstock

An updated guidance document will give health care employers who need face masks and respirators to protect their workers more freedom to choose what products to hand out to employees as the country faces a critical shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE).

On 3 April, the US Food and Drug Administration revised a guidance document from just the prior week that already significantly relaxed requirements for face masks, face shields and respirators. The updated guidance now relies more on employers to follow Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards to decide what products they will hand out to their health workers

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