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

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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.

Can Camfil be a Producer of CATER 95 Masks to Meet the Huge Need?

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

Armbrust American Receives ASTM Level 3 Rating for Its Masks

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.


New COVID Bill Includes Funds to Improve School Ventilation

The $900 billion COVID-19 stimulus deal approved by Congress includes billions for elementary and secondary schools, including dollars to help with improving ventilation and air quality during the pandemic.

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.

enVerid Supplies Ceiling Mounted HEPA Filter Systems

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.

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.

When coupled with UVC lamps that are available with the units, viruses are not only captured, but killed.

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.”

Reliance on Outdoor Air is Not a Good Solution

This is the conclusion of Doug Engel of enVerid in a blog published last month and reproduced below.

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.” 

He then added another risk to consider when relying on open windows for increased outdoor ventilation. “The question becomes — is that space going to be comfortable enough in the middle of winter or are people just going to at some point say, ‘This isn’t working. I’m going to shut the windows.’” He points out that people are more inclined to open and close windows for comfort than for air quality.

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.

If opening windows isn’t the right solution to achieve the target of 5 ACH, schools have alternative strategies to consider. Schools with an HVAC system should ensure at least the minimum outside air ventilation as per ASHRAE 62.1 and install MERV-13 or higher efficiency filters on the HVAC system to clean recirculated air. Schools that don’t have an HVAC system that can bring in outside air or that can’t upgrade to at least MERV-13 filters to safely clean the recirculated air, should bring in as much outside air as possible and supplement with in-room HEPA air cleaners in every classroom.  

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. 

Michigan has Switched to Online as School Transmission has Mounted

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

The number of NYC students and staff testing positive for COVID-19 is rising, forcing the Department of Education to shutter more classrooms and schools to stem the spread.

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

Jofo Nonwovens Expanding Due to Mergers and Investments

 

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.

“We have been focusing on our global footprint—not just with our manufacturing but with the global supply chain,” says CEO Rain Tian.

Tian joined Jofo in 2019 in a deal that also marked the first significant collaboration for the company. Tian—a former executive with Avintiv Nonwovens—had started Fineness Corporation, a Chinese-based manufacturer of air through bonded nonwovens for backsheets, and, as CEO of Jofo, he brought the technology with him.

In 2020, Jofo has expanded again thanks to a series of acquisitions starting with a Wuxi, China spunmelt operation started by First Quality Nonwovens and later owned by PF Nonwovens. Referring to this as a very quick merger deal taking just 47 days to close, Tian says the integration of the Wuxi site has helped Jofo respond to a surge in Chinese demand, and the company is already adding capacity there.

While the company has not released many details, Tian has confirmed that Jofo is in the process of adding a second Reicofil spunmelt line in Wuxi to respond to additional growth in the area.

Meanwhile, Jofo is currently underway with its first international investment—the acquisition of Advanced Fabrics (SAAF), a Saudi Arabian manufacturer of spunmelt nonwovens for medical and hygiene applications. This acquisition is expected to close in early 2021.

“Acquiring SAAF will allow us to really move into the medical market—it has allowed us to increase our capacity but it has also expanded our offerings,” Tian says. “Having operations in Asia and the Middle East gives us the flexibility to our customers.