Coronavirus
Technology Solutions
CATER 95 Masks
can Save Many
Lives in the
Next Nine Months
Can Camfil be a
Producer of
CATER 95 Masks
to Meet the Huge
Need?
Armbrust
American
Receives ASTM
Level 3 Rating
for Its Masks
New COVID Bill
Includes Funds
to Improve
School
Ventilation
enVerid Supplies
Ceiling Mounted
HEPA Filter
Systems
Reliance on
Outdoor Air is
Not a Good
Solution
Michigan has
Switched to
Online as School
Transmission has
Mounted
NYC Shuttering
More Schools
Jofo Nonwovens
Expanding Due to
Mergers and
Investments
__________________________________________________________________________
CATER 95 Masks
can Save Many
Lives in the
Next Nine Months
Vaccinations are
likely to reduce
virus
transmission by
over
40% in
the next nine
months. But many
lives will still
be lost. CATER
masks can be a
big contributor
to reducing
these losses.
the
impact will
depend on how
quickly they can
be made
available. Two
scenarios based
on a low and
high estimate of
how quickly
production can
be increased are
shown in the
graph.
In either
case CATER 95
masks will save
hundreds of
thousands of
lives
which might
otherwise be
lost in the
period.
·
Total = virus
transmitted.
This decreases
as vaccinations
take effect
·
Cloth =
virus
eliminated by
inefficient
loose fitting
masks
·
CATER L = virus
eliminated with
minimum ramp up
of CATER 95
production
·
CATER H = virus
eliminated with
maximum ramp up
of CATER 95
production
·
CATER A =
increased CATER
95 sales for air
pollution,
health and
wildfire
protection
Under this
scenario CATER
masks make a big
contribution to
COVID mitigation
in the next nine
months.
Suppliers then
divert part of
the production
to other air
contamination
reduction needs.
Total CATER mask
production would
be modestly
lower in the
July-December
period but
sales
would steadily
increase in 2022
to meet the
large non COVID
needs.
Camfil seems to
have the
capability to
quickly make
enough CATER 95
masks to help
meet the urgent
needs McIlvaine
projects for the
next nine
months.
In March 2020,
Camfil started
helping the
healthcare
community by
manufacturing
and testing
respiratory
protection. The
hospital
environment is
one of the core
competence areas
for Camfil. They
have
successfully
delivered filter
and ventilation
solutions to
various
hospitals and
care facilities
around the globe
in the past many
decades
including
operating
theaters,
laboratories,
reception rooms,
intensive care
units, and
pharmacies.
Camfil has
delivered
CamProtect
respiratory
protection,
primarily to the
Stockholm Region
along with other
institutions in
the healthcare.
The product
CamProtect is
now CE-certified
by Force
Certification
A/S. Initial
production was
100,000 masks
per week.
The idea for a
mask took shape
within Camfil
when the corona
outbreak first
emerged. As
experts in air
filtration
solutions, ideas
for respiratory
protection masks
began to come in
from Camfil
offices in
Malaysia, Spain,
Slovakia,
Sweden, and
others. The
project then
gained momentum
through Camfil’s
Global Tech
Center in Trosa,
Sweden with
other areas of
the Swedish
organization.
Since
respiratory
protection is
not part of
Camfil’s regular
manufacturing
output, Camfil
kicked off a
large-scale
internal
initiative to
get up and
running with a
prototype.
Experts from
product
development,
testing,
materials,
purchasing, and
production
participated.
The prototype
was then tested
in one of
the
laboratories.
Product
development in
the filter
industry usually
takes several
months or even
years. For this
fast pace
development, it
took plenty of
hard work to
redeploy
production lines
while finding
partners and
suppliers who
could help make
the idea a
reality as soon
as possible. The
production
started in Trosa,
Sweden, and
CamProtect
respiratory
protection masks
became a
reality. That
was the
beginning of the
product
CamProtect.
There is now a
huge opportunity
for CATER 95
masks. The
question is
whether Camfil
has the interest
and capability
to provide this
reusable type
mask on the same
accelerated
basis that it
achieved with
the disposable
mask
With the country
still in dire
need of personal
protective
equipment during
the pandemic,
U.S.
manufacturing
startup Armbrust
American
announced that
its entire line
of disposable
surgical masks
has received an
ASTM Level 3
rating, the
highest rating
for filtration
effectiveness
available in the
world.
Additionally,
the company has
opened
pre-orders for
N95 respirator
masks, as well
as implemented
updates to its
surgical masks.
Armbrust
American's
Texas-based
medical mask
production
facility.
An alarming
number of
disposable face
mask products
available to
consumers do not
actually provide
the level of
filtration
required to
protect against
the novel
coronavirus,
which is why
having both ASTM
Level 3 rating
and being FDA
listed are so
important.
Obtaining a
Level 3 rating
means Armbrust
American masks
have passed
performance
tests for fluid
penetration,
bacterial
filtration,
flammability,
blood spatter
filtration, and
breathability.
Testing was
performed by
Nelson
Laboratories LLC
and done in
compliance with
the FDA's Good
Laboratory
Practices (GLP)
regulations.
"The key
difference
between Armbrust
American masks
and what you'll
find on retail
shelves is a
promise that
you're buying
the safest
surgical masks
in the world,"
said Founder and
CEO Lloyd
Armbrust.
"You're also
buying from a
trusted and
reliable
manufacturer
that's
constantly
making
improvements to
its products,
unlike
established
competitors who
have little
financial
incentive and
don't sell
directly to
American
citizens like we
do."
Six months after
launching its
first factory, Armbrust
American continues
to demonstrate
that commitment
to innovation.
The latest
example is an
upgrade to add a
newly developed
secure-fit nose
bridge to its
surgical masks,
allowing the
wearer to create
a more secure
seal around the
face. The
company also
recently
activated its
first line of
N95 Respirator
masks, which are
now available
for pre-order.
A total of $54.3
billion has been
secured for the
Elementary and
Secondary School
Emergency Relief
Fund. This will
send formula
funding to
states and
school districts
so they can
respond to the coronavirus crisis.
Those dollars
can be used for
school
facilities
repairs and
improvements,
like heating,
ventilation, and
air conditioning
systems projects
to improve
indoor air
quality, as well
as addressing
learning loss
among students,
including
low-income
students,
children with
disabilities,
English
learners, racial
and ethnic
minorities,
students
experiencing
homelessness and
children and
youth in foster
care. Like schools across the country, districts in Massachusetts have been working to improve HVAC systems so students can safely learn in classrooms. In Worcester, city officials continue to work on a $15 million project to upgrade both school and city air systems. Students in the district, which is the second-largest in Massachusetts, remain in remote learning.
In total,
Worcester has as
of last week
received more
than $39 million
in funding to
address COVID-19
in the
community,
according to
city documents.
Of that funding,
about $23
million was
provided for
city use and $16
million is for
the Worcester
Public Schools.
Though, those
dollars do not
include what
Worcester
anticipates to
receive through
the Federal
Emergency
Management
Agency Public
Assistance
Program. Funding
through that
program does not
have a limit on
the total amount
Worcester is
eligible to
receive but will
provide 75%
funding for
eligible costs.
The city
administration
is working with
a
Massachusetts-sponsored
consultant to
prepare and
submit eligible
expenses for
reimbursement.
So far, the city
has incurred
about $2.3
million in
expenses
officials
believe will be
eligible for
reimbursement.
Worcester plans
to complement
FEMA PA funds
with the
Coronavirus
Relief Fund
Municipal
Program (CvRF-MP)
funding, through
the
Massachusetts
Executive Office
of
Administration
and Finance, to
provide the
required 25%
match. Those
CvRF-MP funds
will also be
used for
expenses related
to COVID-19 that
were accounted
for in the
annual budget
and that are not
eligible under
the FEMA PA. The
largest project
in that category
is the HVAC
upgrade project,
according to
city documents.
All expenses
incurred before
Dec. 30 for that
HVAC project
will be applied
to the CvRF-MP
grant, except
for $1 million,
which will be
funded through
one of the
Worcester Public
Schools grants,
according to the
documents.
Earlier this
month, as the
Northampton
Public Schools
worked to
transition from
fully remote to
hybrid learning,
officials said
the district had
purchased 385
high-efficiency
particulate air
(HEPA) air
filters for
classrooms and
installed more
than a dozen
MERV filters in
school HVAC
systems. More
than $200,000
was spent to
upgrade the air
filtration
systems.
In the federal
relief package,
billions of
dollars are
slated for other
educational
needs beyond
helping schools
with facilities
repairs and
improvements. In
addition to the
$600 direct
checks, which
will arrive
to Americans
within weeks,
the deal
includes
enhanced federal
jobless payments
of $300 weekly
until the
spring, hundreds
of billions of
dollars in small
business loans,
and aid to
health care
facilities as
vaccines are
distributed.
One of the Bill
Gates
investments is
in the
energy-saving
company enVerid.
The planet seems
focused on
achieving
efficiencies in
transportation,
via Tesla and a
score of
electric car,
scooter, and
bicycle makers.
Simultaneously, enVerid
Systems,
an American
enterprise with
roots in Israel,
is focused on
saving the
planet by
minimizing energy
use in buildings because
more energy is
used for
lighting,
cooling, heating
and air
exchanges in
buildings than
in all the cars
and trucks on
the world’s
roads. By
removing
contaminants
from indoor air,
instead of
constantly
bringing in
outside air,
enVerid reduces
HVAC energy
usage by up to
30 percent.
As Christian
Weeks,
CEO of
enVerid in a
recent interview
told Worth
,
“Buildings are
responsible for
around 40
percent of
carbon
emissions, and
HVAC systems are
the biggest
energy consumer
in most
buildings.
Therefore, to
have a
meaningful
impact on carbon
emissions from
buildings, we
must make the
heating and
cooling of
buildings more
energy
efficient.
enVerid does
this by cleaning
indoor air in
buildings, so
that it can be
recirculated or
recycled rather
than replaced
with outside
air, which is
very energy
intensive‚
similar to
heating or
cooling your
house with the
windows open.”
In November,
enVerid was one
of nine
companies
selected for New
York’s Clean
Fight accelerator
program, which
is focused on
helping
growth-stage
startups with
climate change
technologies
scale up their
businesses in
New York State.
In 2019,
enVerid’s
technology was
awarded the Product
of the Year award
at the AHR Expo,
the world’s
largest HVAC
convention.
However, the COVID-19
pandemic has
altered
everyone’s
priorities, and
enVerid has
responded to the
challenge by
using its
expertise in
indoor air
quality to
quickly bring to
market new
solutions for
stopping the
virus’ spread.
enVerid’s
technology has
always removed
molecular
contaminants,
like VOCs and
CO2. However,
with COVID-19,
people are
focused on
bioaerosols in
the air. enVerid
has responded by
deploying local
HEPA filtration
and UV light
technologies.
To this end,
earlier this
year, enVerid
launched a new
ceiling-mounted,
in-room HEPA
filtration
system for
classroom,
common areas in
office buildings
and retail
stores. It
removes 99.99
percent of
viruses.
enVerid is also
expanding its
indoor air
quality
monitoring
solutions to
include RESET
monitors, a
global data
standard for air
quality
monitoring.
Ceiling-mounted enVerid filtration
The
ceiling-mounted
air purifier
units are
superior to
portable ones
for a multitude
of reasons.
Uniformity of
air flow and
reliability are
just two.
Designed to be
ultra-quiet,
they minimize
noise
distraction to
students or
workers.
The enVerid Air
Purifier is easy
to install.
Weeks added,
“The units can
be installed
over a weekend
or during a
school break.
They just
require a power
source and some
simple ductwork
and bracketing.
Replacing and
servicing
filters is
straightforward
too.”
The enVerid team
just wrapped up
a webinar series
on COVID
& Indoor Air
Quality and
all sessions are
now available
online. We had
three great
discussions with
experts at the
leading edge of
IAQ research.
The guest
speaker for our
second webinar
was Prof. Bill
Bahnfleth, Chair
of the ASHRAE
Epidemic Task
Force and
Professor of
Architectural
Engineering at
Penn State. At
the end of the
session, there
was a question
for Dr.
Bahnfleth
regarding K-12
schools and
classroom
ventilation. And
because it’s a
question we hear
so frequently
during our
conversations
with schools
lately, we
thought we’d
share it here.
When it comes to
quick solutions
to keep clean
air flowing
through the
building,
schools often
wonder, “Can’t
we just open up
the windows?”
Well, the answer
is…it depends.
Experts
recommend that
during the
COVID-19
pandemic,
classrooms
achieve at least
5 total air
changes per hour
(ACH). According
to Harvard T.H.
Chan School of
Public Health, 4
ACH is good, 5
is excellent and
6 is ideal.
Increasing
outdoor
ventilation is
often the first
strategy
facility
managers
consider to make
that happen. If
school buildings
have operable
windows, opening
them even just a
few inches might
be a quick and
easy way to
increase air
changes.
However, the
amount of air
that comes
inside depends
on outdoor
winds,
temperature
gradients and
whether fans are
being used to
exchange air. As
Dr. Bahnfleth
explained during
the webinar,
“Just opening a
window is
unreliable
because of the
dependence on
other driving
forces like
pressure.
Opening one
window may not
do anything for
you. You may
have air going
out instead of
coming in.”
This point
certainly
resonates for us
in Boston, as we
think ahead to
winter months
when the average
daytime
temperature dips
below 45
degrees. We’re
already seeing
this play out on
social media as
teachers in the
Boston area
share pictures
of their
classrooms
with space
heaters, open
windows and box
fans.
The enVerid Air
Purifier is an
in-room,
commercial-grade,
ceiling mounted
True HEPA air
purifier that’s
proven to
capture 99.99%
of virus
particles,
including a
surrogate for
the virus that
causes COVID-19.
It provides
schools with a
cost-effective
way to boost air
change rates by
4-5 times per
hour. Compared
to portable air
purifiers on the
market, these
ceiling-mounted
units save
valuable floor
space in
classrooms,
allow for more
flexible room
placement that
minimizes noise
and optimizes
air flow.
So while opening
windows may be a
piece of your
school’s
comprehensive
COVID-19
mitigation
strategy today,
in room air
cleaners like
the enVerid Air
Purifiers can be
another part of
the solution to
future-proof
your school by
reducing the
risk of airborne
viruses and
other harmful
pathogens today,
through the
winter and for
years to come.
Bill’s
full
presentation and
slide deck,
along with the
rest of the
webinar series here.
A total of 65
students and
staff at 21
schools have
been infected by
coronavirus in
new
school-related
outbreaks,
according to
data released
Monday, Dec. 21,
by the Michigan
Department of
Health and Human
Services.
A cumulative
total of 7,775
have been
sickened in
ongoing
outbreaks, the
report says.
Ongoing
outbreaks
include clusters
identified
earlier but that
had at least one
additional case
in the past 28
days.
Here are
the top
10 counties in
outbreaks
related to K-12
schools:
·
Kent, 536
infections at 24
schools.
·
Lapeer, 144
infections at 19
schools.
·
Marquette, 74
infections at
nine schools.
·
Delta, 55
infections at
four schools.
·
Oakland, 38
infections at 10
schools.
·
Macomb, 34
infections at 11
schools.
·
Ottawa, 26
infections at
six schools.
·
Tuscola, 23
infections at
four school
·
Lenawee, 20
infections at
three schools.
·
Leelanau, 17
infections at
four schools.
NYC Shuttering
More Schools
On Friday, 48
students and 86
DOE employees,
including
teachers, tested
positive —
bringing the
total since
September 14 to
5,821.
The results
include cases
reported by city
test sites,
health-care
facilities and
private labs, in
addition to the
DOE’s in-school
testing program,
which was
recently beefed
up from monthly
to weekly.
Those who tested
positive include
students and
staff who attend
class or work
remotely, as
well as those
who come to
schools.
The week of Dec.
8, Mayor de
Blasio reopened
city schools for
roughly 190,000
kids eligible to
attend in grades
3-K, and Pre-K-5
, and children
with
disabilities.
That came nearly
three weeks
after de Blasio
had ordered
all buildings
closed due
to rising
COVID-19
infection rates
citywide.
The mayor has
repeatedly
called city
schools
“extraordinarily
safe.”
But ever-rising
rates since then
have continued
to force the
“Situation Room”
— a multi-agency
task force that
monitors
COVID-19 cases
in schools —
to close more
classrooms and
buildings for
cleaning and
implement
contact-trac
In the past
several years,
Jofo Nonwovens
has transformed
itself from a
local Chinese
player to a
multinational
corporation
thanks to a
string of
mergers and
investments.
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