Beijing Outbreak is a Test of Technology Solutions

Impact of the New Outbreak on Chinese Economy

A Combination of Activity Control and Technology Solutions can Provide a Safer Productive Return to Near Normal

Air Ionization Effective on COVID

BWF Making Masks as Well as Filter Bags

ULT has a Mobile Filter System for COVID

Temporary Partitions GWP Correx

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Beijing Outbreak is a Test of Technology Solutions

China has successfully battled COVID by implementing technology such as masks and controlling activity. In the U.S. leaders refuse to wear masks and champion lifting controls on activity. China has been spectacularly successful in comparison to the U.S. However, this policy will be tested with a new outbreak.

The new coronavirus outbreak in Beijing grew to 106 cases Tuesday, with 29 communities in the sprawling Chinese capital back on lockdown. Health officials confirmed another 27 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, a smaller increase than in previous days but still a worrying resurgence after Beijing enjoyed almost two months without a single new infection.

Yet again, a coronavirus outbreak in China is linked to a food market. The vast Xinfadi wholesale market is at the epicenter of the country's latest battle against COVID-19.

The size of more than 250 football fields, Xinfadi claims to be the biggest wholesale food market in Asia, supplying up to 80% of the meat and vegetables to the capital's 22 million people.

Authorities moved quickly, erecting barricades to isolate neighborhoods known to heave infected people while launching a massive testing campaign targeting all of the market's workers, recent visitors and anyone they came into contact with — up to 200,000 people, on top of the 90,000 residents who live in the surrounding neighborhoods.

At least as many people were also back on lockdown across Beijing by Tuesday. Authorities placed massive housing blocks under quarantine. Food deliveries were blocked from going no further than perimeter roadblocks.

This coronavirus resurgence and reaction is worryingly reminiscent of the unprecedented lockdown of Wuhan and the surrounding regions in central China that began in January. An estimated 35 million people were impacted by those strictly enforced measures after the world's first outbreak of the new coronavirus was discovered at a wholesale food market in the capital of Hubei province. 

China's chief epidemiologist Wu Zunyou has said the next few days will be critical to understanding how the virus is spreading - both in Wuhan and Beijing.

“These two events indicate that it starts from a market and also related to the seafood or meat," said Wu. "That environment, particularly the cold, wet environment, may be able to keep the virus alive for a long time."

Officials in Beijing are now barring residents who live in high-risk areas from leaving the capital. Taxis and ride-sharing services have also been banned from taking people outside the city.

Those who have left have been ordered to report to local health officials as soon as possible.

China has been a big contrast to the U.S. which has experienced 25 times as many deaths and a death rate per capita more than 100 times that of China. The massive lockdown in Hubei and technology and activity solutions throughout the country have kept the infection to a minimum in other provinces as shown below.

 

 

Will China be as successful in controlling this new outbreak? The answers to this question will be provided in the next few weeks. They will be important to understanding future demand and supply of masks and other technology. They not only will show the importance of masks but also the potential future demand for masks. The Chinese goal is for all citizens in public places to wear masks.

China is also the largest producer of masks and also air filtration equipment. Due to air pollution  a large number of buildings and residences have very efficient air filtration systems. There are examples of filtration systems in elevators and other areas which are just being considered in other parts of the world.

 

Impact of the New Outbreak on Chinese Economy

China’s economy is rebounding. But a recent mini-outbreak of coronavirus cases in Beijing, all of them connected to a meat and fish market so far, could block them from finally scoring a win against the new SARS.

Their domestic economy has been recovering since March, thanks to the easing of strict quarantine measures and continued policy support. Total credit growth rebounded to 12.5% in May, the highest level since June 2017, while local government bond issuance jumped to a record 1.3 trillion yuan ($183 billion).

Two of China’s most beat down sectors — automotive and real estate — are on the mend. There’s been an improvement in both auto sales, and in the housing market.

The real output growth of services production, which closely tracks China’s GDP growth, registered positive year-over-year growth of 1% last month, despite cinemas staying closed and tourism banned across state lines.

“The recovery in production has continued to outpace that of demand,” says Bo Zhuang, China economist for TS Lombard. “There have been no mass manufacturing lay-offs.

 

A Combination of Activity Control and Technology Solutions can Provide a Safer Productive Return to Near Normal

If a person traveled to and then worked in a Class 100 cleanroom, his chances of becoming infected with COVID on the job would be close to zero.

The cost of this technology is prohibitive for general use. But we need to think outside the box. Air cleaning systems of various efficiencies and magnitudes can be employed based on specific conditions.  Various efficiencies of masks can also be employed. So we have to start thinking in terms of multiple technology solutions. This would then be combined with innovative activity controls.

When it comes to Covid-19 economics, the relevant question isn’t whether to keep a lockdown in place or reopen in full, Zachary Karabell writes in Politico Magazine. Rather, it’s how to modulate business activity with more nuanced measures as the virus comes back in waves—how to turn the economy on and off sustainably, rather than stopping it wholesale in ways that make restarting difficult.

A few proposals have surfaced. "In Europe, a group of researchers spread over nine countries modeled multiple scenarios for how to confront a future surge,” Karabell notes. “The most effective strategy, according to their models, would be to alternate 50-day strict lockdowns followed by 30 days of opening, followed by more lockdowns as need be"—a strategy that might "reduce the risk of social breakdown" by giving everyone some certainty and a periodic break.

A group in Tel Aviv suggests having people “work in two-week cycles of four-day workweeks, followed by 10 days of voluntary quarantine. Schools would follow a similar pattern,” Karabell writes. “The logic is that even if people contracted the disease in that two-week period, the subsequent 10-day quarantine would reduce the infection rate in the larger society to below 1, which would in turn prevent wide-scale outbreaks.” Former Mitt Romney health-policy adviser Avik Roy has advocated letting Covid-19’s age distribution guide us; his proposal includes reopening K-12 schools, lifting stay-at-home orders for all but the elderly, and prioritizing testing in nursing homes.

These policies need to be coordinated with technology solutions. Nursing homes need to have room air purifiers. The elderly and those with respiratory problems should be wearing N95 masks with valves even though they protect only themselves.

So, thinking outside the box about technology solutions and activity control is the way forward.

Air Ionization Effective on COVID

Testing carried out by Tayra and backed by the Spanish Ministry of Defense Biological Laboratory in Spain has proven the effectiveness of Plasma Air Ionization technology in the reduction of MS2 Bacteriophage, a surrogate for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), in indoor environments.

There is mounting research to suggest that clean, disinfected air plays a vital role in preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19. While respiratory droplets are considered the primary transmission route, aerosols are being considered by many health authorities as a possible mode of infection transmission along with surface contact. This suggests that viral particles can remain suspended in the air for long periods and can be inhaled.

The research tests were conducted in a Madrid hotel converted into a residence and confinement center for medical staff during the pandemic. The experiments took place in simulated ICU hospital rooms within the hotel. This environment was explicitly designed to test air ionization on small aerosolized viral particles. The laboratory analysis was carried out at a nearby operations center of the Spanish Ministry of Defense from May 4th to May 14th. 

The Plasma Air ionizer was chosen to suit the specific airflow and installed in the entrance to the fan coil unit of the supply Air Duct test space. The bacteriophage MS2 was then nebulized into the test space. During the two distinct phases of the test, the supply air entering the test room was ionized using Plasma Air's bipolar ionization system. In contrast, during the second phase, the supply air into the room was untreated. A reduction of approximately 2 log units of the Bacteriophage was obtained in the air that was ionized by the Plasma Air system. This corresponds to a 99% reduction after only 10 minutes of exposure to ionization.

The research project was guided and coordinated by Plasma Air's long-term business and technical partner in Spain, Tayra, a specialist in air purification. In addition to the Spanish Government ministries, the experiments also involved academics in the fields of engineering, microbiology, and computational fluid dynamics, along with Spanish Government appointed testing labs. 

The tests also included using manikins to simulate ICU patients. The manikins were equipped with specialized filters to measure the amount of Bacteriophage that was being breathed in with and without air ionization. The levels of MS2 Bacteriophage and associated particle counts were measured using Electrical Low-Pressure Impactors, and swabs were taken from walls and surfaces for analysis. The level of airborne MS2 Bacteriophage was measured using the Spanish authorities calibrated equipment for detecting biothreats. Results from this test showed a reduction in the order of 0.70-0.85 log pfu/cm2 corresponding to nearly 80% reduction in surface MS2 Bacteriophage after 10 minutes between the test with and without ionization. 

"Coronavirus is a global crisis and nowhere more so than inside built environments such as transport hubs and work environments," explains Chris Russell, Vice President of Plasma Air. "The effective elimination of airborne virus is a major breakthrough that can make workplaces, transport, entertainment and educational facilities safer for employees, commuters and students."

"We were very motivated to facilitate these critical tests at our laboratories here in Madrid, and we are extremely impressed by the results achieved," Lieutenant Coronal Juan Carlos Cabria, the Technical Director of the biosecurity laboratories of the Ministry of Defense, stated. "We are extremely grateful to the team of Scientists, Engineers, Microbiologists and Academics who have worked tirelessly here for the last three weeks voluntarily to achieve this incredible and important result in the battle against coronavirus."

Air ionization works through the reaction of negatively and positively charged ions. The ions attach to airborne pathogens, such as viruses causing a chemical reaction on the cell membrane's surface. This deactivates the viruses, rendering them harmless, so they can no longer spread or cause infection.

Plasma Air's ionization system used during the Spanish trials are available commercially on a worldwide basis from a network of distributors and are used in offices, hotels, transport hubs, schools and hospitals, as well as in the Los Angeles Airport (LAX) and the new Doha and Riyadh metro systems.

Tayra is a specialist HVAC company based in Madrid. Founded in 2004, it provides advanced technologies and products to the market. Tayra's technical team brings together more than 30 years of experience in the field of air conditioning installations, both in the design and application of advanced systems of high performance and quality. Tayra has been working closely with Plasma Air for the last two years and has been successfully deploying ionization to major companies such as Engie and Danone in the region.

BWF Making Masks as Well as Filter Bags

Within a very short space of time, BWF employees made the change from full-capacity operation to working from home quarantine; they also switched production from filter bags to masks. BWF Envirotec, Italy initially switched from producing filter bags to masks. The colleagues at the headquarters in Offingen also endeavored to ensure an alternative supply of masks to the company’s own locations and to local medical practices, rescue services, old people’s homes and other facilities. The entire supply chain was put into operation practically overnight. As a result,  BWF is  now able to offer their hygiene masks for sale at extremely fair prices.

Besides hygiene masks, BWF produces another virus protection product. »BWF Safety Guard« spit and sneeze protection, a sheet of acrylic plastic with a base, which serves as an effective virus barrier and protects the safety and health of the employees wearing it.

BWF hygiene mask, pack of 5 is available for €5 incl. VAT.

In particular the following product instructions apply:

• The mask is not a medical product or item occupational safety equipment (PPE).
• BWF Group is not a licensed medical device manufacturer.
• There is currently no certification according to relevant standards.
• The nature of the raw material or the finished product is not designed to ensure comprehensive protection against viruses and/or bacteria.

ULT has a Mobile Filter System for COVID

ULT AG provides extraction and filtration systems that are principally able to separate viruses through the utilization of particle filters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The mobile fume extraction system JUMBO Filtertrolley MED is equipped with U15 filters as standard. So-called H13 / H14 filters High Efficiency Particulate Arrestors (HEPA filters according to ISO 35/40/45 H and ISO 50 U) as well as U15 filters Ultra Low Particulate Air (ULPA filters according to ISO 55/60 U) can separate particles in the dimension of viruses, including Corona Virus and aerosols as possible carriers for viruses.

In addition, ULT AG is able to generate air currents in the room with its extraction systems, removing suspended matter in the nm range over larger distances, i.e. effectively eliminating the finest of particles from the ambient air, including viruses. Therefore, the utilization of air cleaning systems can be seen as additional protection to the existing measures such as "keeping your distance" or wearing face masks.

Ideally suited in situations where proximity between people is inevitable, for example in dental surgeries, the device JUMBO MED (Med = medicine) can be used.

Possible areas of application include offices, hospitals, medical practices and their waiting areas, common rooms of public institutions, etc.

Temporary Partitions GWP Correx

Packaging and material handling specialist GWP Correx® has branched out into manufacturing a new product – temporary partitions to help protect staff at critical businesses.

With a number of existing customers contacting the business for assistance with similar products, the design team at GWP set to work on creating a modular, manufactured version that can be adapted to most applications and environments. While the temporary partitions have been designed to help with segregation of staff at businesses deemed critical at this time – such as those manufacturing pharmaceutical, medical, food and specialist equipment - it can also be used by ecommerce businesses seeing increased demand during the current lock down.

Besides the additional safety and compatibility that the bespoke manufactured screens can offer, there are a number of other benefits provided by the Correx material (a form of corrugated plastic) itself. This includes surfaces which are easy to clean with all standard cleaning products, being lightweight for easy rearranging of the partitions as required, and even a choice of colors. And thanks to a large stock holding of material, they are available on short lead times as well.

 

 

From the picture supplied by GWP  Correx there is no discussion of air flow patterns either before or after installation   Let’s assume the worker in the middle were smoking a cigarette.  The partitions might just cause turbulence and keep viruses suspended.  So partitions without directional air flow control and filtration  can make matters worse.