McIlvaine Coronavirus Market Ale

Laminar Flow Not Partitions and Masks Not 6 ft Distance are the New Recommendations

Puracore Containment Modules Available for Quick Shipment to Any Part of the World

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Laminar Flow Not Partitions and Masks Not 6 ft Distance are the New Recommendations

Meat processors, and many other entities trying to mitigate COVID-19 are moving forward based on guidelines which have been made not only obsolete but dangerous.

Meat processors have received guidance from the CDC to install partitions and to wear some type of cloth mask. Based on the latest evidence this is not good advice.

Fifty years of cleanroom design has resulted in consensus that HEPA filtration and laminar downward air flow are the ways to deal with particles smaller than 5 microns. Air pollution control experts can cite endless examples of small particles which travel around the globe. No amount of partitioning would restrict them.

Technology has been developed to deal with COVID-19 in a safe and cost effective manner by cleaning the air and directing the flow so it is not from person to person. The 6 ft voting line in Milwaukee is a good example of what not to do. A slow sequence of people moving in a straight line creates a lineal viral cloud and so people in the rear are continually walking into the cloud generated by their predecessors. In Milwaukee seven COVID case were directly tied to the voting and the entire Wisconsin caseload rose noticeably.

One takeaway is that air flow direction is very important. If a cloud moves from one meat packer under or around a partition to another worker, the partition has no positive effect and in fact may create turbulence and longer suspension. In the diagram below envision each worker in a cavity area caused by the partition where the virus keeps circulating.

There are ceiling mounted fan Filter Units (FFUs) which will provide laminar flow of HEPA filtered air. If placed properly they can provide laminar flow of clean air downward.

Meat processors are only one of the many applications where fan filter units and not partitions should be used.

The aisles of stores can also be supplied with laminar air flow ceiling mounted FFFUs.

In terms of what is needed cigarette smoke can be used to illustrate the effectiveness of a design. In the laminar flow systems it will be removed. It would easily circumvent partitions.

The guidance to meat processing workers to wear a cloth mask but not an N95 mask because there will not be enough for healthcare workers is also obsolete advice. The production of N95 masks has increased by orders of magnitude in recent months. The shortage of meltblown media is being met in several ways including rapid construction of new media lines and development of nanofiber membranes as a washable alternative. Various decontamination methods for masks are now available.

Everyone should be wearing an N95 efficiency mask. The new evidence of transmission by small aerosols including Italian research which found coronavirus on air pollution particles in the Lombardy region means that what is needed is to remove particles smaller than 3 microns with high efficiency on 0.3 microns and even 0.1 microns.

The N95 mask is actually tested with 0.l micron aerosols and achieves 95% efficiency on these particles. Single use face masks do not even remove all the 3 micron droplets. Surgical masks have only 30% capture rate on 0.1 micron particles. It is true that viruses are generally found in droplets or on particulate which is larger than 0.1 microns but the fact that viruses are traveling long distances testifies to the small carrier size.

Another challenge is leakage around the mask, N95 masks are designed for minimum leakage. Surgical masks are loose fitting with considerable leakage. N95 masks can be supplied with or without valves. There is lower leakage and greater comfort if a valve is provided. On the other hand the valve allows unfiltered breath discharge. Both designs will have their place.

The conclusion is that HEPA filtered laminar air environments and high efficiency masks will provide a relatively safe working or shopping environment. Partitions and 6 foot distancing with cloth masks are not nearly as protective.

The traditional market for HEPA filters and fan filter units has been for cleanrooms and hospital isolation rooms. What is now needed is investment in billions of dollars in fan filter units for a variety of applications. Here are some examples

Potential for Fan Filter Units in New Applications in the U.S
Type of Establishment	Quantity*
Grocery Stores	40,000
Convenience Stores	140,00
Clothing Stores	95,000
Fast Food Restaurants	240,000
Other Restaurants	400,000
Animal Slaughtering And Processing # of Workers	40,000
# of Elevators	900,000
Health Clubs	40,000
Nursing Homes	16,000
Nursing Home Patients	1,400,000
Dentists	200,000

Studies of a restaurant in Southern China showed that social distancing was irrelevant. The air conditioner created a virus cloud which impacted all diners in its flow pattern. So tables nearby the transmitter but not in the flow pattern escaped while those at some distance in the flow pattern ended up with numbers of COVID-19 cases. The solution is the fan filter unit and unidirectional air flow away from people.

Krueger’s new reverse-flow fan filter unit is applicable for hospital isolation rooms housing patients suffering from highly contagious diseases. It works by creating a negative pressure environment that removes air from an isolation room, cleans it via the unit’s built-in HEPA filter, and keeps airborne contaminants from escaping back into the room. The unit can be mounted in the ceiling or provided as a rolling mobile version. The mobile unit includes built-in, heavy-duty swivel casters with brakes, allowing it to be moved easily from location to location as the facility requires.

Mobile units are also available. Whether for a dedicated AII (Airborne Infection Isolation) room or a temporary space, such as a tented area within a convention center (with or without ceiling), the mobile unit can provide a speedy solution. It needs only to be rolled into place and calibrated before being put into use. While it is a floor-based model and not located directly over the patient, it is strong enough to overcome body plume buoyancy to effectively remove contaminants from the space.

Puracore Containment Modules Available for Quick Shipment to Any Part of the World

COVID-19 Containment modules/pods/rooms have a maximum size of 6 meters wide, 4 meters high and an unlimited length. Easily cleaned, with hygienic surfaces manufactured by Gilcrest’s specialist cleanroom division Puracore, Global Specialists in the Manufacture and Delivery of FM Approved, High-Specification Cleanroom Systems. This containment module enables a clean space for production in a controlled environment, including converting non-sterile spaces to sterile spaces and providing clean areas for equipment manufacture, in addition to COVID-19 human isolation areas and controlled environment for ventilator parts production.

Puracore says this is a simple, cost effective and fast solution which is what is needed in this very challenging time. In addition, these containment modules can be expandable as demand grows and they are easy to relocate and reassemble with this in mind.

They are available with sealed doors or strip curtains and pre fitted lights as required with worldwide shipping available.

Particle Measuring Systems specializes in viable and nonviable particle counters that measure and monitor contamination levels in clean and controlled environments. Since 1972, the PMS knowledgeable and experienced team has been developing innovative technologies to advance the cleanroom monitoring industry.

PMS is already monitoring both viable and non-viable particles. Therefore they will be able to provide insights on the McIlvaine proposal that in many areas where there is concern about coronavirus viable particulate should be continuously monitored as a surrogate for measuring virus loads.

Environmental Monitoring (EM), particularly in pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities where the risk of microbial contamination is controlled through aseptic processing, comprises both physical and microbiological test methods. PMS says It is a common assumption that if fewer total particulates are present in a cleanroom, it is less likely that airborne microorganisms will be present. This is true only if human operators are the main source of particulate matter in the air. However, it is not possible to clearly distinguish between background total particulate contamination generated largely by mechanical operations and the total particulates contributed by personnel. Thus, it is routine for cleanroom environmental monitoring programs to consist of both a total particulate component and a microbiological component.

The proposal would be to adopt the protocols used in toxic metal monitoring where total particulate metal quantities are used as a surrogate for toxic metals. Intermittent metals sampling is undertaken to establish the relationship.

A number of N95 facemasks from Chinese suppliers were tested by MIT as requested by the State of Massachusetts. Efficiency varied from 95% down to as low as 28%. Many of the suppliers delivered masks which were less than the 95% efficiency. Details of individual tests are shown in the link.

The Cleanbox is designed specifically for decontaminating four masks at once in a 1-2 minute cycle, allowing for the disinfection of up to 100 masks per hour, per unit.

https://www.cleanboxtech.com/

For various applications it will be desirable to create separate air handling systems to protect against the virus. If one person in one group becomes infected the spread will be limited to his group. Huntair supplies Floor-by-Floor Air Handling Solutions for Better Building Environments. The Vertical Self-Contained Systems, are ideal for floor-by-floor HVAC, provide an efficient, flexible, cost-effective, and reliable approach to creating comfortable environments in mid-rise and high-rise buildings, offices, and schools. These units are custom designed to meet specific application requirements, offering coil, compressor, and filter options along with multiple configurations

Custom Cleanroom Air Handling solutions, including both Makeup Air Units and Recirculating Air Handlers, are designed specifically for cleanroom applications, offering low vibration and noise levels. In addition, these units are designed with quality features that can withstand harsh chemicals used in pharmaceutical environments and provide the efficiency and flexibility to meet the operating requirements of today’s cleanrooms. The company also offers fan filter units and small cabinet fans.

Date	Supplier	Customer	Details
2018-12-09	GUANGZHOU KELAICHUANG PURIFICATION	BIOCREDE INC.	MODULAR CLEANROOM
2018-05-20	GUANGZHOU KELAICHUANG PURIFICATION	CLARION MOBILE HOLDINGS INC.	AIR SHOWER H. S CODE: 8424899990 LAMINAR FLOW PASS BOX H. S CODE: 8414609090
2018-05-13	GUANGZHOU KELAICHUANG PURIFICATION	BETTER BODY SPORTS	MODULAR CLEANROOM

Italian researchers report that the coronavirus has been found on air pollution particles. So it stands to reason that a smoker could be a transmitter according to Dr. Jyotu Sandhu with Sharp Rees-Stealy, if a smoker has the virus then yes, it is possible the smoke the individual breathes out does carry the virus. If an individual is in close proximity to a person smoking, who has the virus, he or she could breathe in that same smoke.

"That person is just expelling whatever they have in their mouth," said Dr. Standhu.

Another question is if you can smell tobacco smoke are you also inhaling virus from that same source. McIlvaine will be seeking this answer but it is likely to be that the weaker the smell the more diluted any transmission.

Employees at the Cudahy-based Patrick Cudahy meat processing plant headed back to work Monday, May 4 after extensive testing at the plant revealed at least 85 employees have been infected with the coronavirus.

Smithfield Foods, Inc., the owner of the dry sausage and bacon plant, temporarily shut down operations originally saying that a "small number" of employees had been affected.

City officials in Cudahy said the Wisconsin National Guard assisted the Cudahy Health Department in providing COVID-19 testing for employees at the plant, and that a total of 503 people were tested over a five day period between April 24-28.

State health officials are offering free COVID-19 testing to all workers at the plant, which employs about 1,000 people.

At least 116 employees at an Oklahoma pork processing plant have tested positive for coronavirus as the industry attempts to keep doors open and quell fears of a meat shortage.

The Guymon, Okla., plant is run by Seaboard Foods. Any employee who exhibits symptoms or a fever will be asked to go home, a company spokesperson said in a statement.

The Global Center for Health Security at the University of Nebraska Medical Center is home to the national Training, Simulation and Quarantine Center, which features the nation's only federal quarantine unit and simulated biocontainment units for advanced experiential training. The Center has provided a draft guide for meat processing plants with recommendations for physical barriers, HEPA filtered unidirectional air and efficient masks. The problem is that it does not guide how to use these technologies. It acknowledges the risk of turbulence “ “turbulent airflow from fans may contribute to re-aerosolization of viral particles from surfaces” but does not explain why barriers may lessen or increase the turbulence. There is no statement that N95 efficiency masks should be required.

McIlvaine has just interviewed Josh Santaparia of UNMC relative to the air transmission of viruses. In light of the findings by UNMC and many others that significant transmission is through aerosols barriers may be no more effective in stopping virus transmission than they would be stopping cigarette smoke. McIlvaine hopes to pursue this in depth with UNMC personnel.

Here are excerpts from the guidelines

Physical Barriers

When possible, use physical barriers to separate workers from one another and minimize the opportunities from person-to-person transmission of COVID-19. Some strategies for installing physical barriers include:

o Determine where it is possible to place a physical barrier between workers on production line (e.g., plexiglass)

Identify opportunities to place physical barrier at cafeteria lunch tables for tables with built-in seating (e.g., cardboard, plexiglass partitions)

Extending partitions several inches past the end of the table provides an additional measure to prevent workers from leaning back and extending over to space of person sitting next to them.

Identify opportunities to place physical barrier (e.g., plastic sheeting) in hallways to guide employee traffic to/from production and limit crossover

Wherever possible, exhaust room air and deliver clean air; if re-circulation is required, this should be done in concert with appropriate filtering (HEPA) or sterilization measures (e.g., UV) § This is especially relevant in high traffic and high-density areas of the plant, including production lines, cafeterias, locker rooms, and congregating areas.

If fans are used in the facility, ensure fans blow clean air toward workers’ breathing zone and are used to create unidirectional airflow § Turbulent airflow from fans may contribute to re-aerosolization of viral particles from surfaces.

A policy should be implemented for all employees and essential visitors to wear a face mask/face covering at all times while on the facility premises. It is common for an individual to have COVID-19 and be able to transmit the disease to others in close contact while showing no signs or symptoms. As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidelines recommending all persons wear face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures cannot be achieved. There are different types of face coverings. It is highly recommended, as available, to provide employees in meat processing plants with procedure (surgical) masks due to the close contact they have with other employees and the liquid contact frequency in the work environment.

Cloth face-coverings may not provide the needed protection for these workers. Hair and beard covers provide no protection; they should not be used as an alternative for a face mask. Provide information to employees on proper face covering use

Current evidence suggests that the virus that causes COVID-19 can remain viable on surfaces for hours to days. As such, sound environmental cleaning and disinfection is a key factor in preventing COVID-19 transmission in meat processing facilities. Daily and routine cleaning and disinfection should be conducted to minimize surface contamination in common areas and on high-touch surfaces.

Develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) § Develop an SOP for enhanced cleaning and disinfection of common contact areas § Identify common high-touch surfaces (e.g., tables, door handles, microwaves, railings) and develop a checklist to ensure frequent sanitization throughout the day § Dedicate additional staff, as available, with the only responsibility to disinfect high touch surfaces § In the event an employee tests positive for COVID-19, develop an SOP for cleaning and disinfecting impacted areas (e.g., cafeteria, washrooms, welfare areas, pathways, etc.) § Develop a process for routine deep cleaning of common areas, either daily/nightly or, at minimum, weekly § Develop a process to ensure lunch tables are clean between use by self-cleaning or tools (e.g., laminated card with green side and red side) to notify environmental service employees that the tables are in need of cleaning or to notify employees the table is cleaned and ready to be used o

Maintain adequate supplies § Place hand sanitizer dispensers throughout facility, particularly at entrance, exits, and transition areas § The more accessible hand sanitizer dispensers are, the more they will be used § Touchless hand sanitizer dispensers are preferred to manual dispensers (e.g., pumps) § Assess supply of cleaning supplies, sanitizers, and disinfectants and encourage practical use § Note: Follow manufacturer recommendations; some disinfectants may be caustic and require gloves and ventilation § Provide readily available sanitizing wipes, soap, and paper towels in cafeterias and breakrooms DRAFT Version Updated 4.28.20 7 § Use only EPA-registered disinfectants for use against SARS-CoV-2 o Minimize touching of items by multiple workers § Minimize the number of workers using the same tool § Identify common shared tools and develop procedures to sanitize between users § Use no-touch receptacles and sanitizing stations when possible