Duke Researchers Are Decontaminating N95 Masks so Doctors Can Reuse Them to Treat Virus Patients

Nassau County police lead a donation drive to collect medical equipment such as N95 surgical masks, nitrile gloves, tyvex suits, antibacterial and disinfecting wipes to battle the coronavirus pandemic at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, N.Y., on March 24, 2020. Al Bello/Getty Images

The N95 respirator masks that health care workers need to protect themselves while treating CCP virus patients are in dangerously short supply.

So much so that physicians are wearing used respirators, risking infection to care for patients.