Although PPE are preferred, the Joint Commission has now approved homemade face masks during "crisis capacity."

Posted in Coronavirus on Thursday, April 9, 2020

Healthcare staff can now bring personal face masks or respirators to work when their organization cannot provide access to the protective equipment necessary based on the risk they are exposed, according to an announcement by The Joint Commission. 

Together with five other national organizations, The Joint Commission has called for action to address the increasing need for face masks and other PPE. Recognizing that homemade masks are not considered PPE, the organizations agree with the CDC that when organizations have reached “crisis capacity,” they may need to rely on “strategies that are not commensurate with U.S. standards of care.” 

With this announcement, The Joint recognizes that hospitals must conserve PPE for those performing high-risk procedures and that homemade masks should only be used when standard PPE is unavailable. 

For more details, you can read the full announcement.