Now that the COVID emergency is over, we are reassessing some of our current practices, including N95 Mask Fit testing. Before the pandemic, we used to mandate that everyone who per CDC was defined as having increased occupational risk for TB exposure (e.g., pulmonologists or respiratory therapists) and those working in specific settings (e.g., emergency departments) get yearly Mask Fit testing. 

Currently, we mandate yearly mask fit for the following groups:

• Clinical students
  
• Graduate medical education (GME) residents and clinical fellows
  
• Pulmonary, Emergency Medicine, Thoracic Surgery, and Infectious Disease providers
  
• Respiratory Therapy Services staff
  
• Emergency Department staff
  

To complicate things further, the CDC recommends that those working with influenza patients wear N95 or equivalent when providing care. With flu season coming up, that would mean almost all hospital staff would need to get Fit Tested, which is difficult to do based on our institution's size.  

What are other people's approaches to Fit Testing? Are there any other groups for which we should mandate yearly mask fitting? 

Jakub Furmaga, MD

Medical Director of Occupational Health

UT Southwestern Medical Center 

Dallas TX