Coronavirus Technology Solutions
May 27, 2020
Virginia will Require Masks in
Public Indoor Places
Path Ahead in Pandemic will be
Shaped by Masks, Doctor Says
Mask Policies in Other European
Countries
150,000 Infections at Nursing
Homes in the U.S
Masks, Partitions, and Foot
Sanitizers at Caruso Properties
in California
New York Subway Testing UV
Disinfection
Battelle H2O2 System for
Oklahoma
Altapure Uses Ultrasonic
Dispersion in its Mask
Disinfection Systems
Russian Scientists Develop
Nanofibers for Masks
O2 Nano Mask is Low Pressure
Drop, Efficient and Reusable
Siemens Corporate Technology
China
Develops Intelligent
Disinfectant Robot
UVD Robots Used in Patient and
Operating Rooms
Xenex Uses UV for High Pathogen
Reduction on Room Surfaces
______________________________________________________________________________
Virginia will Require Masks in
Public Indoor Places
Virginians will soon be required
to wear face masks in public to
help curb the spread of the novel
coronavirus,
Gov. Ralph
Northam announced
on May 26, the same day the
state saw its biggest daily
spike in new virus cases.
The
executive order, which takes
effect on Friday, mandates that
all residents wear a facial
covering while in “public indoor
settings,”
“We
are making progress to contain
the spread of COVID-19 and now
is not the time for Virginians
to get complacent,” Gov. Northam
said in a statement. “Science
shows that face coverings are an
effective way to prevent
transmission of the virus but
wearing them is also a sign of
respect. This is about doing the
right thing to protect the
people around us and keep
everyone safe, especially as we
continue to slowly lift public
health restrictions in our
Commonwealth.”
Path Ahead in Pandemic will be
Shaped by Masks, Doctor Says
Americans are at odds over
whether it is necessary to
continue taking coronavirus
protective measures, but a
leading researcher says the data
is clear: the path ahead in the
COVID-19 pandemic is being
shaped by masks.
"We now have really clear
evidence that wearing masks
works — it's probably a 50%
protection against
transmission," Dr. Chris Murray,
director of the Institute for
Health Metrics and Evaluation
(IHME) at the University of
Washington, told CNN's Anderson
Cooper. "And so, what happens in
the next month or two is very
much in the hands of how people
respond."
The IHME, which produces a
coronavirus model that has been
cited by the White House and is
one of more than a dozen
highlighted by the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and
Prevention, on Tuesday said the
model projects fewer people will
die in the United States by
August than it had projected
last week.
The model revised its forecast
to 132,000 deaths — which is
11,000 fewer than it projected a
week ago. Behavioral changes
like wearing masks could be
responsible for the reduction,
Murray said.
Many officials have urged their
residents to wear masks. Former
acting CDC director Dr. Richard
Besser called it "an American
thing to do," and Ohio Gov. Mike
DeWine told Cooper wearing a
mask isn't political, it's
"about loving your fellow human
being." Still, warmer weather
and a holiday weekend drew large
crowds from their homes and into
public spaces recently — many
without any face coverings.
The decision to wear a mask or
avoid one will determine what
happens next in the pandemic,
Murray said. McIlvaine Company
would add that the type of mask
is a major factor and if masks
in general are 50 percent
effective what about using
high efficiency masks?
Would this improve the
efficiency by 5, 10 or even 15
percentage points?
Wearing Masks is Being Made
Compulsory in Spain Both Indoors
and Out in Public if Social
Distancing is Not Possible
Only children under six and
people with health issues are
exempt from the law, which comes
into force on May 28.
Many European countries have now
made wearing masks a requirement
on public transport but the
Spanish decree goes further.
Spain has seen one of the worst
Covid-19 outbreaks in Europe but
is now easing the lockdown
gradually.
It already requires the wearing
of masks on public transport and
is now strengthening the rules
across the population. Spain has
reported almost 28,000 deaths
and 232,000 infections since
March but the rate of infection
has declined.
The decree states: "Using masks
will be compulsory on the
street, in open spaces and any
closed place of public use, when
it is not possible to maintain a
safe distance of at least two
meters (6.5ft)."
It would seem that people with
health issues should be the ones
most in need of masks.
If fitted with valves
they will be comfortable
and not reduce oxygen
intake
Mask Policies in Other European
Countries
There is a wide array of
measures across Europe:
§
Most parts of Germany, Austria,
Slovakia and the Czech Republic
say masks should be worn in
shops and on public transport
§
Slovakia and the Czech Republic
are extending that rule to
include offices too
§
Italy says masks should be worn
in shops and on transport but in
public too where it is hard to
maintain a safe distance
§
The UK, Switzerland and Belgium
recommend the wearing of masks:
face coverings are being advised
for people in Scotland and
England in certain enclosed
spaces
§
Greece says masks should be worn
in shops, on transport, in
enclosed spaces and by tour
guides
Long-term care facilities
— including rehabilitation
centers, assisted living and
nursing homes — struggled to
find workers for their mostly
low-paying and difficult jobs
before the pandemic. The pay has
not gone up but the hazards
have.
At
least 27,700 residents and
workers have died from the
coronavirus at nursing homes and
other long-term care facilities
for older adults in the United
States, according to a New York
Times database. The virus so far
has infected more than 150,000
at some 7,700 facilities.”
The
Kaiser Family Foundation, which
focuses on major health care
issues, said:
While most (long-term care
facility) workers are under 50
years of age, nearly 4 in 10 are
50 or older (38%), including 7%
who are 65 and older. Among
those LTC workers who most
frequently come in direct
contact with patients, 9% of
direct contact support workers
and 7% of aides and personal
care workers are themselves age
65 or older and based on their
age alone are at risk of serious
illness if infected.
Masks, Partitions, and Foot
Sanitizers at Caruso Properties
in California
Rick
Caruso, owner of the upscale
Grove shopping center in Los
Angeles and luxury Rosewood
Miramar Beach resort in
Montecito, has developed
coronavirus-fighting procedures
for reopening his properties
that are nearly as over-the-top
as the properties themselves.
At
his ten malls in the Los Angeles
area, expect to encounter
“physical distancing
ambassadors” to keep crowds from
forming and attendants who clean
every bathroom stall after it’s
used. Shields between guests and
concierges will be in, while
valet parking and shoe shines
will be out.
The
picturesque trolleys that
offered visitors rides around
the Grove and Americana at Brand
in Glendale will stay in their
garages indefinitely. Workers’
temperatures will be checked
daily, and hotel staff must pass
through a “foot bath” to make
sure they are not tracking in a
virus on their shoes.
Elevator occupancy will be
limited to one family, or
household, per car at a time.
And everyone who steps on a
Caruso property must wear a
mask.
Most Facilities are Increasing
Their Cleaning Programs to
Combat COVID
Among business leaders
questioned prior to their
facilities reopening amid the
coronavirus pandemic, 94% said
they plan to add regular
disinfection to their cleaning
programs, according to
a survey conducted by OpenWorks,
a commercial cleaning and
janitorial services company.
The survey revealed that 82% of
business leaders said it was
“likely” or “very likely” that
they would increase the cleaning
frequency of their facilities
once their company reopened. The
breakdown of survey respondents’
answers about increased cleaning
frequency was:
·
Very likely, 58%
·
Likely, 24%
·
Somewhat likely, 9%
·
Neither likely or unlikely, 5%
·
Somewhat unlikely, 3%
·
Unlikely, 2%
·
Very unlikely, 1%.
New York Subway Testing UV
Disinfection
Buses, trains, and
transportation stations in New
York City will undergo
ultraviolet (UV) light
disinfection under a pilot
program starting this week,
The Metropolitan Transportation
Authority (MTA) announced it
will use 150 dual-head mobile
lights that emit UVC—one of the
three types of light on the UV
spectrum that is believed to be
most effective against viruses
and bacteria—from a Denver-based
startup company. Special crews
will use the UV lamps during
the overnight shutdown on subway
trains and during periods when
bus transit is out of service.
The first phase of the program
will launch this week, focusing
on train cars, stations, and
yard areas, as well as
occupational facilities, crew
rooms, and other shared areas.
The lamps, which can be
installed on a ceiling or a
wall, have been installed on
poles in the middle of train
cars.
The MTA has asked a doctor who
is director of the Center for
Radiological Research at
Columbia University in New York
City to examine the efficiency
of the lamps. If he finds
the first part of the program
successful, it will expand to
train lines serving the suburbs. Battelle H2O2 System for Oklahoma Hospitals, health care workers, and first responders in Oklahoma will soon have the option of recycling their N95 masks, with the state receiving a new decontamination system developed by Battelle, a research and development organization based in Columbus, Ohio.
The
Battelle Critical Care
Decontamination System is a
self-contained, mobile system
that uses high-concentration,
vapor-phase hydrogen peroxide to
decontaminate N95 masks. Oklahoma will not incur a cost for the new service. Battelle was awarded a contract by the Defense Logistics Agency on behalf of the U.S Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide N95 decontamination at no charge to health care providers.
“This system is a way to ensure
an uninterrupted supply of
critical PPE is available to
health care workers and first
responders in our state for the
long-term,” Lance Frye, interim
health commissioner, said.
“Oklahoma’s stockpile of PPE is
in good shape now and through
proactive partnerships like this
we can add an extra layer of
insurance that it will remain
that way.” The Battelle system was created to address the global shortage of personal protective equipment and will serve to maximize Oklahoma’s PPE stockpile, which currently includes approximately 181,000 N95 masks. Up to 10,000 masks can be decontaminated at a time. The process takes about 2.5 hours per batch and health care workers can expect to have cleaned masks back within approximately 72 hours of receipt at the processing facility. An N95 mask can be decontaminated up to 20 times without degraded performance. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management has acquired a location for the system in Muskogee and will support any logistics needs for the facility, which will be up and running by the end of the month. “Bringing in this decontamination system was an easy decision when we saw what it could do and how it could help our state,” OEM Director Mark Gower said. “We are coordinating with Battelle, OSDH and the site location to get the system in place and functional as quickly as possible.” Battelle will transport the system to Oklahoma and provide staffing to run it. A number of states have successfully implemented the system in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Oklahoma State Department of Health is working with health care officials in Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana to glean best practices for deploying the system locally.
Altapure Uses Ultrasonic
Dispersion in its Mask
Disinfection Systems
The AP-4™ High Level
Disinfection System (HLDS) is an
enhanced automated and touchless
high-level disinfection
sub-micron aerosol system that
will consistently kill 100% of
pathogens such as: C. difficile
spores, VRE, CRE, MRSA, C. auris,
& viruses such as the Corona
virus COVID-19, in a treated
space. The AP-4™ delivers a
dense cloud of sub-micron fog
droplets for the high-level
disinfection of large spaces
such as those found in medical
facilities, cleanrooms,
pharmaceutical facilities,
biotechnology facilities,
hospitals - including patient
rooms, ICUs, and operating
rooms. The dense sub-micron
aerosol delivers gas-like
performance that offers
three-dimensional coverage in
large areas. The process is safe
for all electronics and
equipment, non-toxic, organic,
food safe, leaves no residue and
ends green.
Altapure, LLC, announced new
data evaluating two of its
devices for the disinfection of
personal protective equipment
(PPE). Two studies demonstrated
the effectiveness of the
company’s ultrasonic
disinfection technology for the
rapid decontamination of large
numbers of N95 respirators. Both
products generate submicron
droplets of peracetic acid (PPA)
and hydrogen peroxide and have
been shown to be highly
effective in eliminating
microorganisms in patient
treatment spaces and on portable
equipment.
One
study, published in Pathogens
and Immunity, found that
the high-level disinfection
cabinet, a product that will be
available later this year
pending FDA 510k approval in
high-level disinfection, was
more effective than
ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light and
provided greater reductions on
both outer and inner surfaces of
N95 respirators with a single
cycle. Regarding the UV
products, the author stated,
“However, the levels of
reduction did not meet our
pre-established criteria for
decontamination (i.e., > 3 log
10 reduction on inoculated
respirators), and moreover would
not have met a > 2 log 10
reduction requirement for
decontamination. Thus, the level
of reduction would not be
adequate to allow shared use of
respirators by different
individuals.”
“There remains an urgent need
for an effective N95 respirator
disinfection process that will
allow on-site reprocessing with
rapid turnaround times, ease of
use with existing personnel and
expertise, and flexibility and
scalability to process large
quantities of respirators,” said
Carl Ricciardi, President,
Altapure. “Given the efficacy of
the Altapure’s process, the
study findings have important
implications for facilities that
are considering decontamination
of PPE as a strategy to maintain
adequate supplies in the current
COVID-19-related public health
crisis, and also have potential
application for broader
decontamination needs.”
The
study examined the effectiveness
of three methods, including UV-C
light, a high-level disinfection
cabinet that generates
aerosolized PPA and hydrogen
peroxide, and dry heat at 70°C
for 30 minutes. The
decontamination of three
commercial N95 respirators,
inoculated with methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and
several bacteriophages,
including an enveloped RNA virus
used as a surrogate for
coronaviruses, was assessed.
UV-C
administered as a one-minute
cycle in a UV-C box or a
30-minute cycle by a room
decontamination device reduced
contamination but did not meet
criteria for decontamination of
the viruses from all sites on
the N95s. The high-level
disinfection cabinet was
effective for decontamination of
the N95s and achieved
disinfection with an extended
31-minute cycle. Dry heat at
70°C for 30 minutes was not
effective for decontamination of
the bacteriophages.
Currently in pre-print
publication, a separate
multi-institutional study was
conducted by researchers at
University Hospitals Cleveland
Medical Center (UHCMC), Case
Western Reserve University
(CWRU), National Aeronautical
and Space Administration (NASA)
Glenn Research Center and the
Cleveland Veterans Affairs
Medical Center (VAMC) to
evaluate the technology for
whole-room disinfection of a
large number of respirators and
evaluated the impact of the
treatment on mask performance.
“We
found that the PAA room
disinfection system was easy to
set up, operate and was
effective for disinfection of
N95 respirators with a total
cycle time of 1 hour and 16
minutes. Using multiple methods,
we did not detect any adverse
effects on filtration
efficiency, structural
integrity, or strap elasticity
after five treatment cycles,”
said author Curtis J. Donskey,
M.D., Professor of Medicine,
Case Western Reserve University,
and Staff Physician, Infectious
Diseases Section, Louis Stokes
Cleveland VA Medical Center.
“These results suggest that the
PAA room disinfection system
provides a scalable solution for
in-hospital decontamination of
N95 respirators to meet the
needs of healthcare workers
during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.”
A
scalable platform that can be
set up in real-world hospital
settings, the PAA room
disinfection system offers
several potential advantages
over other technologies being
evaluated for PPE
decontamination. Approximately
2,000 N95 respirators could be
effectively disinfected in a
room with the dimensions of the
test room (2447 cu. ft), with
capacity increasing
proportionally to the room
dimensions. PAA works at room
temperatures and requires a
shorter cycle time than many
other disinfection methods,
including vaporized hydrogen
peroxide (VHP). Currently used
for terminal disinfection of
patient rooms, the system can be
readily repurposed for N95
decontamination without
significant added costs
Russian Scientists Develop
Nanofibers for Masks
A group of scientists from
Russia’s Krasnodar Region
invented a nanofiber material
for production of medical masks
and respirator disposable
filters that is more effective
for prevention of the
coronavirus spread than normal
cloth, Dmitry Lopatin, a team
representative, told TASS
recently.
"We have begun our research in
late March: kerosene soot
particles have the same size as
the coronavirus. We tested both
the normal cloth used in mask
production and our nanofibers
for absorption. Currently, we
are looking into two possible
applications of our nanofibers
for coronavirus prevention:
production of medical masks and
disposable respirator filters,"
Lopatin said. Dmitry Lopatin is
a graduate of the Kuban State
University. The group conducts
its research in the Krasnodar
Region’s Goryachy Klyuch.
O2
Nano Mask is Low Pressure Drop,
Efficient and Reusable
Viaex Technologies, a material
science startup and laboratory,
has been researching
nanomaterials and developing
their own products for over six
years. They have collaborated
with DaD Sewing House, a network
of local manufacturers that
provide employment opportunities
to skilled craftspeople in San
Francisco, to create the O2 Nano
Mask. Distributed under O2
Brands,
the O2 Nano Mask was created in
April 2019 as a high-quality
pollution mask, and this year,
its production was increased to
meet the demand of communities
and healthcare facilities for protective
masks for
health workers and people
affected by Covid-19. O2
The O2
Nano Mask is sold at $35.99 and
comes in medium and large sizes.
The
mask consists of two components:
the reusable skin and the
replaceable filter. Each filter
features three layers: two
layers of PET and one embedded
with nanofiber material. The
fibers are on the order of 85 ±
20 nm in diameter. This
nanoscopic morphology creates
uniquely small pores and
drastically increases the
membrane surface area while
leaving open-air travel paths in
99% of the membrane volume.
The
O2 Nano Mask’s filter component
stops 99% of PM2.5 particles,
including dust and other air
pollutants; pollen; dander and
other allergens; bacteria and
other germs; harmful gases;
smoke (including from wildfires)
and other fumes with its
five-layer protection and
hypoallergenic hydrophobic
nanofilter. The filter media
used has achieved 99% particle
removal efficiency based on
EN143 European certification
standards and third-party
testing.
The
mask’s outer shell component can
last for a long time. The mask
is machine washable and tumble
dryer safe. It’s intricately
constructed to be worn time and
time again. The filters are
long-lasting depending on the
level of pollution and are also
fully recyclable. Each O2 Nano
Mask filter can last from eight
hours to 20 days (with light
exercise in a moderate AQI
environment).
The O2 Nano Mask consists of the
reusable skin, the 3-layer
nanofilter membrane, and a nose
bridge for a snug fit. Its main
function is to allow wearers to
breathe freely while staying
protected and avoiding the
spread of germs. The materials
chosen for the O2 Nano Mask
ensure high breathability with a
1 mbar pressure at 60 L/min of
airflow, which is much better
than most masks on the market.
The lower the mbar number, the
easier it is to breathe. Using
the same air flow rate as the
mask, the pressure needed for
SCUBA gear is 28 mbar. Blowing
up a balloon at 60 L/min takes
120 mbar of pressure, for
comparison.
Siemens Corporate Technology
China
Develops Intelligent
Disinfectant Robot
The Siemens Advanced
Manufacturing Automation (AMA),
which has a focus on special and
industrial robots, unmanned
vehicles and intelligent
equipment for robotic
applications, also moved quickly
to help tackle the spread of the
virus. The laboratory produced
an intelligent disinfectant
robot in just one week,
explained Yu Qi, head of its
research group. Its model, which
is powered by a lithium battery,
distributes a mist to neutralize
Covid-19 and can disinfect
20,000 to 36,000 square meters
in one hour
Many disinfection robots
available on the market combine
a petrol-driven mistorizer gun
with an electric
chassis. However, on-site
refueling is neither clean nor
convenient, so the team decided
to develop purely electric
robots.
UVD Robots Used in Patient and
Operating Rooms
Danish company UVD
Robots is
manufacturing robots that are
able to disinfect patient and
operating rooms in hospitals
thanks to powerful
short-wavelength UVC lights that
emit enough energy to eradicate
the DNA or RNA of any
microorganisms that are exposed
to them.
Xenex Uses UV for High Pathogen
Reduction on Room Surfaces
US-based
Xenex uses
UVC light to annihilate the
virus on “high touch” hard
surfaces, such as bed rails,
trays and call buttons. Melinda
Hart, media relations director
at Xenex, explained that
the radiation damages the
structure of genetic material
and prevents particles from
making more copies of
themselves.
The LightStrike Robot is the
first UV disinfection technology
that has been proven to
deactivate the SARS-CoV-2 (also
known as COVID-19). The Robot
was validated against the live
(not surrogate) SARS-CoV-2 virus
at Texas Biomedical Research
Institute in the biosafety level
4 (BSL-4) containment laboratory
which is used to study deadly
pathogens for which there are no
known treatments or vaccines.
The exceptional results showed a
99.99% reduction in pathogen
load in 2 minutes at 1 meter for
hard surfaces and 5 minutes for
N95 respirator masks. |