Coronavirus Technology Solutions
June 18, 2020
Mask Policy Agenda Webinar Thursday Just Touched
the Surface
Vogmask Offers Fashionable but Effective Mask
Big Shift in WHO
Mask Policy
Sportswear Companies Pursuing the Mask Market
Mask Needs in India
Carrier Global Provides Mobile Air Filtration
Systems for Hospitals
Portable Booths That Mimic Cleanrooms
__________________________________________________________________
We could have talked for weeks but did manage to
condense a lot of valuable information into a 90
minute group webinar followed by a solo
recording by Bob McIlvaine. The group discussion
was too good to terminate. The two recordings
can be the part of the background for the next
webinar.
The group recording is found at
https://youtu.be/lwVpSB7mkHk
The second recording and more information on the
group discussion will appear in the Alert
tomorrow.
Here is partial coverage
Panelists
Paul Gardner former Chief of Respiratory Branch
U.S. Army
Christine Sun President of Waterloo Filtration
Institute
Barry Garfinkle, Principal at Barry Garfinkle &
Associates
Bob Burkhead,
Blue Heaven Technologies
Speakers
Bob McIlvaine, President McIlvaine Company
Wendover Brown, Vogmask
Jerry Fan, Mogul
Jayesh Doshi eSpin
(no picture)
Agenda
There will be three
5-7 minute speeches on masks, media, and
fibers.
There is time allotted for questions and
comments after each speech
The final 60 minutes will be a discussion of
mask options using the slide deck which you have
received.
You can ask questions of the experts and
provide your own insights.
Wendover Brown – Vogmask
Jerry Fan -
Mogul
Jayesh Doshi – eSpin
Bob McIlvaine - McIlvaine
Vogmask Offers Fashionable but Effective Mask
Wendover Brown traced the history of the company
which began in September 2011 with a mission to
create an important tool for protecting
respiratory health and raise awareness of the
need to clean the air we breathe.
Over the course of nine years, Vogmask has
gained worldwide regard as the original
respirator combining cool designs with high
efficiency, superior comfort, and excellent fit.
eSpin Provides Media for Masks and Filters
Jayesh Doshi of eSpin described their surge in
activity due to the COVID needs for efficient
masks and filter media.
They use electrospinning technology to
produce nanofiber media. There are a number of
uses involving different
applications and resins.
eSpin is providing efficient washable mask media
HEPA filters are another product.
Media is also supplied for respirators.
Big Shift in WHO Mask
Policy
People above 60 years or with health issues
should wear a medical mask in settings where
social distancing is difficult, and all others
should wear a three-layer fabric mask that acts
as “a barrier for potentially infectious
droplets,” according to the new guidelines
released on Friday.
“In light of evolving evidence, WHO advises that
governments should encourage the general public
to wear masks where there is widespread
transmission and physical distancing is
difficult, such as on public transport, in shops
or in other confined or crowded environments...
Based on this new research, WHO advises that
fabric masks should consist of at least three
layers of different material,” said Dr Tedros
Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO. Medical masks are defined as
surgical or procedure masks that are flat or
pleated; they are affixed to the head with
straps that go around the ears or head or both.
Their performance characteristics are tested
according to a set of standardized test methods
(ASTM F2100, EN 14683, or equivalent) that aim
to balance high filtration, adequate
breathability and optionally, fluid penetration
resistance. Filtering facepiece respirators
(FFR), or respirators, similarly offer a balance
of filtration and breathability; however,
whereas medical masks filter 3 micrometre
droplets, respirators must filter more
challenging 0.075 micrometre solid particles.
European FFRs, according to standard EN 149, at
FFP2 performance filter at least 94% solid NaCl
particles and oil droplets, and US N95 FFRs,
according to NIOSH 42 CFR Part 84, filter at
least 95% NaCl particles. Certified FFRs must
also ensure unhindered breathing with maximum
resistances during inhalation and exhalation.
Another important difference is the way
filtration is tested; medical mask filtration
tests are performed on a cross-section of the
masks whereas FFRs are tested for filtration
across the entire surface. Therefore, the layers
of the filtration material and the FFR shape,
ensuring outer edges of the FFR seal around
wearer’s face, result in a guaranteed claimed
filtration when worn compared to the open shape,
or leaking structure, of medical masks. Other
FFR performance requirements include being
within specified parameters for maximum CO2
build up, total inward leakage and tensile
strength of straps.
WHO advises decision makers to apply a
risk-based approach focusing on the following
criteria when considering or encouraging the use
of masks for the general public:
1.
Purpose of mask use: if the intention is
preventing the infected wearer transmitting the
virus to others (that is, source control) and/or
to offer protection to the healthy wearer
against infection (that is, prevention)
2. Risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus due
to epidemiology and intensity of transmission in
the population: if there is community
transmission and there is limited or no capacity
to implement other containment measures such as
contact tracing, ability to carry out testing
and isolate and care for suspected and confirmed
cases. depending on occupation: e.g.,
individuals working in close contact with the
public (e.g., social workers, personal support
workers, cashiers).
3. Vulnerability of the mask wearer/population:
for example, medical masks could be used by
older people, immunocompromised patients and
people with comorbidities, such as
cardiovascular disease or diabetes mellitus,
chronic lung disease, cancer and cerebrovascular
disease.
4.
Setting in which the population lives: settings
with high population density (e.g. refugee
camps, camp-like settings, those living in
cramped conditions) and where individuals are
unable to keep a physical distance of at least 1
metre (3.3 feet) (e.g. public transportation).
5.
Feasibility: availability and costs of masks,
access to clean water to wash non-medical masks,
and ability of mask wearers to tolerate adverse
effects of wearing a mask.
6. Type
of mask: medical mask versus non-medical mask
Based on these criteria, Table 2 provides
practical examples of situations where the
general public should be encouraged to wear a
mask and it indicates specific target
populations and the type of mask to be used
according to its purpose. The decision of
governments and local jurisdictions whether to
recommend or make mandatory the use of masks
should be based on the above criteria, and on
the local context, culture, availability of
masks, resources required, and preferences of
settings.
Sportswear Companies Pursuing the Mask Market
The
sportswear companies are finding lots of
interest in their masks.
They add prestige and
demand for masks but are people going to
regret not having a more efficient mask?
Adidas is offering lightweight masks in a 3-pack
for $16.
The Adidas masks are made from recycled content,
including 93 percent recycled polyester and 7
percent elastane. They are washer and dryer safe
for daily use and feature breathable fabric,
which make the masks comfortable and easy to
wear for short trips and longer errands.
The training
face covers come in black and blue with
an Adidas logo featured on the bottom corner of
the mask. The large size fits most adults. The
dimensions are 6″ x 6.7.″
Fortunately, for kids or adults with smaller
faces, the masks also come in smaller sizes in
the same colors, the black
mask option and the blue
mask option. The dimensions for the
smaller masks are 5.4″ x 6.1,″ but the small
size is not recommended for kids younger than
12.
The masks have a three-layer design and feature
a slightly more rigid exterior for the mask that
is “treated with PROTX2 to maximize
breathability while protecting the health and
well-being of all.”
Since they sold out so quickly the first time,
Under Armour are making the UA SPORTSMASK
available
for preorder
on its website and
masks are expected to ship out on or by Aug. 17.
CEO Patrik Frisk said in his tweet more would be
available in July.
Mask Needs in India
COVID is rapidly spreading and social distancing
is nearly impossible in crowded residential
areas of India. This would dictate the use of
more efficient rather than less efficient masks.
Efforts in New Delhi and Mumbai to account for
previously unrecorded virus-related deaths led
to a surge in India’s death toll on Tuesday,
bringing the total to nearly 12,000.
Mumbai recorded 1,409 deaths on Tuesday, and the
capital, New Delhi, added 437 fatalities,
according to data from the federal health
ministry. The country now has the eighth-highest
death toll worldwide.
Officials in the two cities had been accused of
underreporting the death toll. The Delhi health
minister, Satyendar Jain, blamed insufficient
information from hospitals.
“Every death count must have corresponding
documents to back the death, otherwise they are
just figures,” Mr. Jain said in a TV interview.
On Tuesday, he was hospitalized for a high fever
and respiratory symptoms, and later said
he had tested positive for the virus.
The Indian arm of Adidas, on Monday announced
the launch of two-layered face covers made of
breathable recycled fabric to help people stay
safe as the country gradually reopens from the
world's most stringent lockdown.
The company said these covers are available at
an introductory price of ₹699
for a pack of three. The face covers have been
launched in two variants--Adidas performance and
Adidas Originals Blue--with features such as
prime green fabric, which is high performance
recycled fabric free of virgin plastic. They
come with two layer fabric with stretchable ear
straps and are washable. Adidas has been reallocating design and supply chain resources to create reusable face covers that are being added to its range of products. While not medically graded, the face covers will be widely available to relieve the burden on limited medical-grade mask supplies. Both variants of the face covers will be available in two sizes, small and large, across 75 cities and at the brand's e-commerce platform. Puma India has also launched face masks. Meanwhile, a clutch of fashion brands such as Allen Solly, Peter England, Zodiac Shirts and Fabindia have started creating designer and printed masks as covering one's face has become the new normal in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic.
Recently, homegrown outdoor and tactical gear
firm, Wildcraft India Pvt Ltd, forayed into
manufacturing and distribution of personal
protective equipment (PPE) including hazmat
suits, respirator masks and face shields.
Carrier Global Corporation—a Florida
manufacturer of heating, ventilation and air
conditioning systems, as well as refrigeration
and fire and security technologies—used their
expertise to help convert normal rooms to air
isolation rooms by developing the OptiClean
negative air machine.
The specs: Powerful
air filtration systems are usually hard-wired,
making them impossible to transport. Carrier’s
OptiClean device, on the other hand, is unique,
featuring:
·
A wheeled base,
allowing it to be moved to different hospital
rooms as needed;
·
A cord that
plugs into a standard 115-volt outlet, so it can
be used in pretty much any room;
·
A 100% seal,
which keeps unclean air from bypassing the
filters—making it as powerful as traditional air
filtration systems that are hardwired into
isolation rooms; and
The timeline: In
just two weeks this March, the Carrier team
developed a prototype and shipped four models to
hospitals across the country for field trials—a
process that would ordinarily take up to a year.
The result: Carrier
has been producing OptiClean devices since April
and has already fulfilled orders for hundreds of
units.
What’s next: Carrier
is hoping OptiClean devices will be used in
homes, businesses, assisted living facilities
and elsewhere in future to provide cleaner air
and protect vulnerable populations.
Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope–a company that
manufactures glazed products like windows,
storefronts, and safety glass—has created a
small glass enclosure that shields a health care
worker from patients while allowing her to do
her job.
The company thinks it could be a gamechanger—by
decreasing health care workers’ exposure to the
virus and greatly reducing their need for
personal protective equipment (along with the
time spent changing in and out of it).
How it works: The
booth’s modular glass system is easy to clean
and assemble. It features:
·
Built-in gloves that
allow health care workers to examine patients
without exposing themselves.
·
Positive air pressure to
keep
outside air from filtering in.
·
A powerful filtration system—backed
up with the company’s airtight window
technologies—that keeps the air inside clean and
safe.
How they built it: It
was a Herculean effort—the company crammed a
development process that normally takes a year
into a monthlong sprint.
·
On March 23,
the idea was hatched.
·
Four days later,
OBE came up with seven potential designs, then
reviewed them until they found the best one.
·
Within three weeks,
the company had purchased parts, treated
materials, and built two working prototypes.
·
Less than 29 days after
the idea was first discussed, OBE manufactured
its first booth.
What’s next? OBE
has submitted its designs to regulatory
authorities, including the FDA. Once the design
is approved:
·
Within two weeks,
the company expects to start production of its
first orders
·
With more than 80 locations in
the US and Canada, OBE could deploy the
technology across North America.
And there’s more…The
booth could even feature in the reopening of the
economy. OBE has designed a second version for
workers who need to be in close proximity
without contact, like ticket takers at movie
theaters, sports venues and airports. |