Coronavirus Technology Solutions
June 22, 2020
Should Valved Masks be Used
in the COVID Battle?
March 13, 2020 - Face Masks and Respirators World Market
March 13, 2020 Air Filtration and Purification World Markets with
Coronavirus Supplement
Disinfectant
Wipes Market Demand is
Unprecedented
_____________________________________________________________________________
Should Valved Masks be Used
in the COVID Battle?
There are edicts to require
non valved masks. In some cases
you can enter a store with a
bandana but not an efficient
valved mask. This makes no sense
unless you believe that the
virus is transmitted only by
very large cough droplets.
The new evidence is that
social distancing is of limited
effectiveness and that masks are
a proven protection safeguard.
Countries such as China and
Japan are fortunate because high
efficiency masks with valves
have been used for decades for
protection against airborne
contaminants. These studies are
statistical and do not take into
account mask efficiency. One
interpretation is that these
countries are using relatively
high efficiency masks and this
is the reason for the amazingly
low death rates (U.S. 130,000
compared to 6,000 in China). The
fact that many of these masks
have valves has not negatively
impacted the results.
It can therefore be argued
that the statisticians could
have concluded that the
difference is not just masks but
efficient masks with or without
valves. If everyone is protected
(or if it causes infection
incidence less than 1.0) then it
is wearer protection which is
most important.
McIlvaine will be
continuing to analyze the mask
options under the assumption
that there are a number of needs
and a number of specific designs
to fit those needs. It is likely
that an individual may want to
have a number of masks designs
to fit variations in the
environments which he enters.
There are several valved mask
options which will be explored
·
Surgical masks as an outer
layer over an N95 valved mask
when people are within 6 feet.
·
A lock on an N95 valved
mask to be used when people are
within 6 feet
·
New mask designs with lower
resistance and which would
provide comfort and
breathability without valves
·
The wearer carrys both an
N95 valved mask and a surgical
mask (or N95 non valved mask)
and wears whichever is
appropriate to the environment
he is entering.
Wendover Brown of Vogmask
was a presenter in our June 18
webinar.
Subsequently she asked us
to weigh in on the use of valved
masks as a COVID mitigation
tool.
There
are three relevant goals
which have to be considered to
answer the question properly
·
Protection from all air
contaminants including air
pollution
·
Protection for those with
respiratory problems
·
General protection
All air contaminants: A
high efficiency mask is needed
to protect wearers from air
pollutants most of which are
sub-micron. A large volume of
valved masks are being sold in
Asian countries and are a
primary
protection against PM
2.5. WHO data shows that 9 out
of 10 people breathe air
containing high levels
of pollutants.
More than 80% of people
living in urban areas that
monitor air pollution are
exposed to air quality levels
that exceed WHO guideline
limits, with low- and
middle-income countries
suffering from the highest
exposures, both indoors and
outdoors.
The levels vary greatly
from country to country and from
day to day. Some areas routinely
experience levels more than 100
times the WHO guidelines.
The seven million premature
deaths per year is a big number.
The fact that it is not listed
as a direct cause of death is
misleading. Also the science
keeps improving and chronicling
the deadly effect of fine
particles. In the 1980s Bob
McIlvaine testified before
Senate sub committees and cited
EPA studies which showed that
acid rain was the main reason
for reducing SO2. Later EPA
found that the reaction of SO2
with ammonia and other base
chemicals in the atmosphere
created the deadly fine
particles which are much more
harmful than acid rain.
So billions of dollars
were spent for SO2 control
before it was even realized that
the main justification was fine
particle reduction.
Researchers in the Lombardi
region of Italy have found
COVID-19 virus particles on air
pollutants in this industrial
region. It therefore stands to
reason that in areas where
particulate levels are much
higher there will be more virus
attached to particles.
New research shows that
airborne virus may not be
permanently inactivated but just
dormant. Because of its small
size it will penetrate the lungs
where the humid conditions allow
it to thrive. The result can be
a more serious illness than
virus deposited in the nasal
passages. All of these
incidental facts need to be
addressed and quantified. It may
be that the quantity of virus
reaching individuals by this
route is insignificant.
But the opposite could
also be found.
A
related question is what
percentage of the cases need to
be attributable to long distance
air borne transmission before it
dictates a special mask
strategy?
Many people who will not
enter the water until an hour
after a meal because of fear of
drowning will want to protect
against an event as equally
unlikely such as long distance
traveling virus.
There are also special air
pollution events which affect
the cleanest cities.
The wildfires in
Australia and California are two
examples. This week the
Caribbean and Florida are slated
to be victims of an African dust
storm.
Since air pollution
particles are mostly submicron a
surgical mask will prevent
inhalation of only a small
fraction. In a polluted city the
wearer may be inhaling millions
of small particles per minute.
So even eliminating 95% of them
still leaves an appreciable
number.
Protection of those with
respiratory problems: There are many high
quality valved masks being used
to protect against air
pollution. Since these need to
be worn at all times and not
just when in areas of high
population density the
comfort and respiratory
function
becomes a factor.
Wendover cites an
asthmatic individual in a
grocery store as an example. A
previous Alert included the case
of two Korean high school
runners who died during a 1000
meter trial because of wearing
N95 masks without valves.
If those with respiratory
problems are tested frequently,
they could wear valve masks and
face little risk. Alternatively
if they have valved masks with
locks they could lock the masks
for short periods.
General Protection: Social distancing is a crude defense and only good
for protection against large
droplets. High efficiency masks
protect against the range of
particle sizes. Social
distancing is within the power
of the individual to control.
Inhalation of airborne particles
can only be reduced with an
efficient mask. So when it comes
to the choice of one or the
other the choice should be the
masks.
Surgical masks may prevent
large droplets from landing on
surfaces which can also be a
source of transmission. But hand
washing and surface disinfection
can deal with this source. Large
quantities of small viruses can
accumulate on surfaces as a
result of air transmission.
Studies in a hospital in Wuhan
show deposits on surfaces caused
by air turbulence. So the
argument that surgical masks
eliminate the surface deposit
risk cannot be substantiated.
There is no one hundred
percent protection protocol.
There is a sequence
ranging from the easiest and
lowest cost initiatives to the
toughest and most expensive. Our
challenge will be to quantify
each of these in terms of return
on investment ( ROI).
ROI and a concept
originally developed for
Cardinal Health to create a
common metric around Quality
Enhanced Life Days are found in
two earlier McIlvaine
recordings.
March 13, 2020 - Face Masks and Respirators World Market
Presentation by McIlvaine analysts on the revenue increases caused
by the pandemic. To view this
YouTube recording click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz6Y3pJSmcI
March 13, 2020 Air Filtration and Purification World Markets with
Coronavirus Supplement
The coronavirus will radically change the short term air filter
market but will also have a
major long term effect. More
efficient filters will be
installed at existing facilities
and there will be many new
applications and technology. To
view this YouTube recording
click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b182d30y9SE&feature=youtu.be
Disinfectant
Wipes Market Demand is
Unprecedented
“This
is unprecedented demand in
modern times for products like
disinfecting wipes,” says Brian
Sansoni, senior vice president,
Communications, Outreach &
Membership for
The American Cleaning Institute (ACI), a U.S.-based
trade association for the
cleaning products industry.
“Manufacturers have been working
around the clock as they are
able to get as many workers in
there—working safely as well, as
the safety of the workforce is
paramount.”
The RB (Lysol) is also
reporting strong category growth
driven by conditions created by
Covid-19. In the first quarter
of 2020, North America Like-for
Like (LFL) revenue was up 20% in
the quarter, with Lysol
especially strong, up over 50%,
due to Covid-19 demand.
Comparing eSpin, Hifyber,
Big Nano, and NXT Nano
Nanofibers are an important
component in the technology
solutions for COVID. The Mask
webinar on the 18th
listed a number of nanofiber
mask products and included a
presentation by
Jayesn Joshi of eSpin.
In the June Nonwovens
Industry magazine there is
an article by Tom Tao of Spintec
(a research group) evaluating
the nanofiber options including
eSpin.
We are excerpting from
that article and are asking
Joshi and others to comment on
it in future alerts.
Tao commented on four
companies
eSpin
“Also capable of very thin
fibers is the innovative
electro-spinning technology
(E-spin). It employs an
innovative concept that uses a
high-voltage electric field
through which tiny charged
droplets of polymer solution
accelerate toward a hard surface
that carries the opposite
charge. The droplets elongate
while the solvent evaporates
between the nozzle and the
charged surface, such that solid
fibers are formed when the
polymer droplets land on the
charged surface.
(We are asking Jayesh Joshi to
respond to these comments)
https://www.nonwovens-industry.com/issues/2020-06/view_features/production-of-nanofibers/ |