Coronavirus Technology Solutions
April 28, 2020
Air Canada Coronavirus Mitigation Procedures
More Evidence of Air Borne Virus Transmission in
a University of Nebraska Study
Noverus Blog Confirms the Dangers of Air Borne
Virus Transmission
Novaerus Air Disinfection Unit Recognized by
Chinese Regulatory Agency
Plasma Treatment of Airborne Viruses is
Effective
Daikin Technology Effective on Viruses
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Air Canada Coronavirus Mitigation Procedures
Though airlines across the world have radically
reduced operations due to the coronavirus, some
people still have to fly for a variety of
reasons. To protect passengers and crew as much
as possible from the transmission of COVID-19,
carriers have instituted numerous safety
measures. Here’s a look at what Canada’s major
airlines are doing to help stop the spread of
the coronavirus during flights.
In response to a directive from Transport
Canada, Air Canada has made masks mandatory.
This requirement applies to passengers at
specified areas in Canadian airports, during the
boarding process and during the flight.
Travelers must prove they have a suitable face
covering prior to boarding. Acceptable masks
include a cloth mask, scarf or similar item. See
the Public
Health Agency of Canada website for
more info.
Air Canada notes that it has implemented
physical distancing practices wherever possible
and is seating passengers as far apart as
possible. The airline is also encouraging
customers to check-in online or via the Air
Canada app rather than at the airport in order
to minimize social contact at airport check-in
areas.
Air Canada also reports that it is now making
N95 masks and protective single-use gowns
available to flight crews. The airline is also
providing all flight attendants with gloves,
antiseptic wipes and hand sanitizer.
Aerobiotix Sales of Room Air Purifiers to
Hospitals is Booming
Dr. David Kirschman, president and CEO of
Aerobiotix, a Miamisburg-based air purification
company, said over the past few weeks, as the
number of confirmed coronavirus cases continues
to grow in the U.S., Aerobiotix is selling more
Illuvia units than ever before.
Kirschman said their product is already in 150
hospitals around the world — from Italy, to
Africa and beyond.
Here’s how the system works:
“It sucks the air into the unit, it goes through
a filtration system and it goes through an
ultraviolet light system,” Kirschman said. “And
so what we have is a special, what we call a
photolytic chamber, which is a box where we
highly concentrate the ultraviolet light, then
run that air through a HEPA filtration system,
then back out into the room.”
More Evidence of Air Borne Virus Transmission in
a University of Nebraska Study
Lack of evidence on SARS-CoV-2 transmission
dynamics has led to shifting isolation
guidelines between airborne and droplet
isolation precautions. During the initial
isolation of 13 individuals confirmed positive
with COVID-19 infection, air and surface samples
were collected in eleven isolation rooms to
examine viral shedding from isolated
individuals. While all 15 individuals were
confirmed positive for SARS-CoV-2, symptoms and
viral shedding to the environment varied
considerably. Many commonly used items, toilet
facilities, and air samples had evidence of
viral contamination, indicating that SARS-CoV-2
is shed to the environment as expired particles,
during toileting, and through contact with
fomites. Disease spread through both direct
(droplet and person-to-person) as well as
indirect contact (contaminated objects and 20
airborne transmission) are indicated, supporting
the use of airborne isolation precautions. One
Sentence Summary: SARS-CoV-2 is shed during
respiration, toileting, and fomite contact,
indicating that infection may occur in both
direct and indirect contact.
Noverus Blog Confirms the Dangers of Air Borne
Virus Transmission
Suspension times will be far higher where there
are significant cross-flows, . . . with doors
opening, bed and equipment movement, and people
walking back and forth,” the BMC Infectious
Diseases authors note.
A Chinese
team was
similarly persuaded after sampling the air in a
make-shift Wuhan hospital, fashioned from an
indoor sports stadium. High RNA concentrations
were found in rooms healthcare workers used to
remove protective clothing after treating
Covid-19 patients.
http://blog.novaerus.com/is-the-new-coronavirus-airborne-and-what-does-airborne-mean-anyway/
Novaerus Air Disinfection Unit Recognized by
Chinese Regulatory Agency
China’s National Online Record Information
Service Platform for Disinfection Products has
recently registered the Defend 1050, Novaerus’
all-in-one air disinfection and purification
device. The National Platform recognizes
products it deems suitable for disinfection in
healthcare facilities nationwide, with all
products independently tested to ensure
compliance with national hygiene standards.
Designed for rapid remediation in large spaces
and situations with high risk of infection, the
Novaerus Defend 1050 (NV1050) uses patented
ultra-low energy plasma technology combined with
a triple-stage Camfil® filter system to provide
a combined solution for air disinfection and
particle removal. The free-standing unit can be
wheeled easily to point of care and plugs into
any outlet.
Plasma Treatment of Airborne Viruses is
Effective
Cold atmospheric pressure plasmas have gained
significant recognition in recent years in the
field of healthcare, for example, in the
treatment of living cells, sterilization of
medical devices, wound healing, and blood
coagulation. The plasmas are nontoxic, provide
rapid and continuous antibacterial treatment,
leave no residues to clean up, and are easy to
scale up, compared to other approaches. They
present an advance over radio frequency high
vacuum plasmas used in the above applications by
eliminating the need for high vacuum pumps and
power systems. While the effects of atmospheric
pressure plasma on surface bound bacteria have
been well studied, their use for treating
airborne microorganisms has received much less
attention but was the focus of this study by
NASA, Stanford and Novaerus researchers.
The effect of dielectric barrier discharge on
the morphology and surface chemistry of E. coli
was studied using electron microscopy, infrared
spectroscopy, and x ray absorption spectroscopy.
The electromagnetic field around the DBD coil
causes severe distortion of the morphology of E.
coli to varying degrees from formation of pores
to shrinking and elongation of the cell
structure possibly resulting in leakage of vital
cellular materials. The observations made from
the core level K-edge NEXAFS spectra of carbon,
nitrogen and oxygen correlate well with each
other as well as with the FTIR spectra
confirming the oxidation, formation of
oxygenated components, and chemical modification
of the cell structure.
The bacteria underwent physical distortion to
varying degrees, resulting in deformation of the
bacterial structure. The electromagnetic field
around the DBD coil caused severe damage to the
cell structure, possibly resulting in leakage of
vital cellular materials. The bacterial
reculture experiments confirm inactivation of
airborne E. coli upon treating with DBD.
Daikin Technology Effective on Viruses
Daikin’s unique Streamer discharge technology
decomposes and removes allergens such as mold,
mites, and pollen along with unpleasant odors.
It is effective on viruses as shown below.
The filter also includes plasma technology and
HEPA filtration.
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