Coronavirus
Technology Solutions
3M
Producing
Six Million
Masks per Day
Honeywell can
Produce 2.7
Million N95
Masks per Day
Berry has
Expanded Its
Meltblown
Production
Around the World
Ahlstrom
Supplies Media
and Components
For Masks
Medline
Expanding
Procedure Mask
Production to 1
Million/Day
Lydall will have
the Largest
Meltblown
Filtration Media
Facility in the
U.S.
Four Cases of
COVID in
Oregon Involve
People Who
Received the
Vaccine
Mask Interior
Humidity can be
Important but it
is a Function of
Fit
Immunity May
Last Less Than a
Year After
Infection or
Vaccination
Milken Mask is
Reusable and
Eliminates Mask
Surface
Transmission
ALG Health
Opening a Second
Mask Facility
____________________________________________________________________________
Mask and Media
Suppliers Need
an Assured Third
World Market
Large increases
in the U.S.
production of
tight
fitting-efficient
masks are
needed. The
problem for
suppliers is an
uncertain long
term market. The
Biden
Administration
can provide a
solution
by
funding exports
to poor
countries.
Over the next
six months the
wealthy
countries need
to supply
citizens with
three times as
many tight
fitting
efficient face
masks as they
are presently
using. Suppliers
need to be
convinced of a
long term market
to justify the
needed
investment.
If governments
provide
sufficient
incentive, then
the suppliers
can quickly
scale up to meet
demands. The
recent McIlvaine
Alerts show how
a combination of
media and mask
designs can be
utilized.
If each wealthy
country is
considering
a
unilateral
program then the
solution
involves a
relatively high
cost per mask.
There is an
alternative
which results in
a low cost per
mask and more
importantly an
improved world
economy. That
solution is
supply of masks
to poorer
countries funded
by the wealthy
countries.
Why is it in the
self-interest of
wealthy
countries to pay
for masks in
poor countries
for the next 5
years?
1.
A long term
market is
created for the
mask and media
suppliers. They
can switch from
domestic sales
to exports as
the domestic
market subsides.
2.
The supply
and
purchase of
goods by poorer
countries will
more than offset
any
mask
subsidies.
3.
New variants and
even strains of
the virus will
be prevented
from being
transmitted from
poor to wealthy
countries.
4.
Wealthy
countries need
to be prepared
for the next
pandemic with
sufficient
supply capacity.
5.
Enhance U.S.
image.
It now appears
that herd
immunity
worldwide will
not be achieved
for seven years.
Vaccination
progress even
with funding
will be slow.
Infrastructure
for cold storage
and vaccine
injection is
lacking.
In countries
where the
pandemic
continues new
variants will
continue to
develop. These
variants will be
transmitted back
to countries
which are
protected only
from previous
forms. The
greater the
number of new
variants the
greater the
likelihood of a
new strain which
is completely
resistant to the
existing
vaccines.
Poorer countries
are both
suppliers and
purchasers of
more than one
third of the
world’s products
and services.
The pandemic has
greatly reduced
this
contribution.
Economists have
provided more
than ample
evidence that
the cost of
masks for poorer
countries will
be more than
offset by
economic
benefits to the
world economy.
The Biden
Administration
is considering
various funding
alternatives to
see that
Americans wear
tight fitting
efficient
masks.
One option
McIlvaine has
reported is for
coupons which
would allow
lower income
citizens to
purchase masks.
But no matter
how attractive
this makes the
short term
market it does
not justify
large
investments.
The Biden
Administration
could implement
a two stage
plan.
·
Stage 1 would
encourage the
expansion of the
domestic
production to
meet short term
domestic needs
with the promise
of future
support.
·
Stage 2 would be
initiated after
the U.S. market
subsides and
would
offer
citizens of
poorer countries
coupons for mask
purchase.
This offer would
extend for
several years.
These coupons
would be used to
purchase masks
exported from
the U.S. or made
by U.S. based
manufacturers.
U.S. suppliers
would be
guaranteed a
long term
market.
It would be
preferable to
create a
coordinated
effort through
WHO. However,
there is an
urgent need now
for the Biden
Administration
to act. So the
initiative can
be unilateral
with the intent
of coordinating
with WHO in the
future.
There is
consternation
about the
vulnerability of
the U.S. to
future
pandemics. At
the onset of
COVID-19
the U.S.
was relying on
China for its
meltblown media
and masks. One
solution is to
have excess
capacity in
reserve. Another
is to impose
disincentives
such as tariffs
to limit
imports. The
subsidizing of
exports to poor
countries is
much better from
an economic and
humanitarian
perspective.
Background
information on
this initiative
is shown at
http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/CATER/subscriber/default.htm
McIlvaine
company also
provides
consulting and
market research
on this subject.
More information
can be supplied
by Bob McIlvaine
at 847 226 2391
or
rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com
3M Producing Six
Million Masks
per Day
In January of
last year, 3M
ramped up
production to
full capacity at
factories making
N95 respirators
in the U.S. and
around the world
– doubling
production
within two
months. By the
end of the year,
3M had
manufactured 2
billion
respirators
globally – more
than three times
the amount
produced in
2019.
In the U.S. it
is now
manufacturing
more than 95
million N95
respirators a
month – up from
22 million a
month in 2019.
At 3M’s
Aberdeen, South
Dakota, plant, a
new
120,000-square-foot
expansion to the
440,000-square-foot
facility has
added more
manufacturing
lines and
automated
equipment. The
expansion added
more than 100
jobs at
Aberdeen’s 3M
facility –
that’s on top of
the 200 jobs
added at the
plant since the
beginning of the
pandemic.
As a global
company, 3M also
manufactures
respirators in
Europe, Asia and
Latin America,
and its products
are being
similarly
deployed to
support the
Covid-19
response in
those respective
regions.
McIlvaine is
comparing 3M
production to
the total world
and that of
other
manufacturers
based on daily
production. The
McIlvaine
estimate is that
3M is producing
3 million N95
masks per day in
the U.S. and 6
million masks
per day
worldwide.
Honeywell can
Produce 2.7
Million N95
Masks per Day
Honeywell first
began ramping up
its N95 mask
production
operation at
multiple U.S.
facilities in
the U.S. The
company was able
to begin
operations in
just five weeks
by accelerating
a process that
could normally
take up to nine
months. The
operations were
initially
capable of
producing 20
million masks
per month, and
Honeywell has
steadily
increased
capacity
throughout the
year.
Praveen Reddy,
president,
Honeywell’s
Personal
Protective
Equipment
business stated
. “Honeywell has
made significant
investments to
expand our
capacity to
produce N95
masks and other
respiratory
products in the
U.S. and
globally.”
Berry has
Expanded Its
Meltblown
Production
Around the World
Berry Global,
the world’s
largest
nonwovens
manufacturer,
has
significantly
expanded its
meltblown output
around the world
to meet demand
for face masks,
but this company
has taken its
efforts a step
further by also
forward
integrating into
face mask
production with
the installation
of nine lines
including one in
China, one in
Europe, five in
the U.S. and two
in the Latin
America. These
lines will
ultimately be
able to make
more than 20
million masks
per
month.
Ahlstrom
Supplies Media
and Components
For Masks
Last year
Ahlstrom-Munksjö,
launched its
Extia Protect
product range,
specifically
designed for
face mask
applications.
Medline
Expanding
Procedure Mask
Production to 1
Million/Day
In December
Medline, began
making level-1
ear loop
procedure masks
in January with
a second
production line
expected to
launch later in
2021. When the
two lines are
fully
operational,
Medline
estimates it
will be able
produce 36
million face
masks per month.
Lydall will have
the Largest
Meltblown
Filtration Media
Facility in the
U.S.
With the
installation of
these two new
production
lines, Lydall’s
New Hampshire
facility will be
the largest site
for meltblown
filtration media
production in
the U.S. To
support the
wider need for
improved air
quality beyond
Covid-19,
Lydall’s
innovation team
is focused on
developing new
carbon-based,
high-efficiency
media for MERV-,
HEPA- and
ULPA-grade
filters for
hospitals,
airplanes,
restaurants,
office buildings
and other public
spaces, in
addition to
material for
face masks.
Four Cases of
COVID in Oregon
Involve People
Who Received the
Vaccine
Four people in
Oregon have
tested positive
for the
coronavirus
after receiving
both doses of
the Covid-19 vaccine,
health officials
said.
There are two
cases each in
Yamhill and Lane
counties, the
state's Health
Authority said
in a series of
tweets on
Friday. The
cases are either
mild or
asymptomatic.
"We are working
with our local
and federal
public health
partners to
investigate and
determine case
origin," the
agency said.
"Genome
sequencing is
underway, and we
expect results
next week."
The agency
referred to the
individuals who
tested positive
as "breakthrough
cases," meaning
that they got
sick with the
virus at least
14 days after
receiving both
doses.
The Health
Authority said
breakthrough
cases are
uncommon and
there could be
more that pop
up.
"Clinical trials
of both vaccines
presently in use
included
breakthrough
cases. In those
cases, even
though the
participants got
Covid, the
vaccines reduced
the severity of
illness," the
agency said in a
tweet.
"Based on what
we know about
vaccines for
other diseases
and early data
from clinical
trials, experts
believe that
getting a
Covid-19 vaccine
may also help
keep you from
getting
seriously ill
even if you do
get the virus.
... Getting as
many Oregonians
as possible
vaccinated
remains a
critical
objective to
ending the
pandemic."
The agency's
announcement
came the same
day its health
officer said
there has been a
decline of daily
Covid-19 cases
over the past
several weeks.
As of Friday,
there were
149,576 cases in
the state,
according to the
department's
count.
Another
breakthrough
case was
reported in
North Carolina,
according to NBC
affiliate WCNC-TV in
Charlotte. The
state's
Department of
Health and Human
Services told
the outlet that
the person had
mild symptoms
and did not need
to be
hospitalized.
The Centers for
Disease Control
and Prevention
has said
that quarantining
is not necessary
for fully
vaccinated
people within
three months of
having received
their last doses
as long as they
do not develop
any symptoms.
They do,
however, still
need to practice
certain safety
measures such as
wearing face
masks, social
distancing, and
avoiding crowds
or poorly
ventilated
spaces.
"Fully
vaccinated"
means at least
two weeks have
passed since a
person has
completed their
vaccination
series.
Mask Interior
Humidity can be
Important but it
is a Function of
Fit
Masks help
protect the
people wearing
them from
getting or
spreading
SARS-CoV-2, the
virus that
causes COVID-19,
but now
researchers from
the National
Institutes of
Health have
added evidence
for yet another
potential
benefit for
wearers: The
humidity created
inside the mask
may help combat
respiratory
diseases such as
COVID-19.
The study, led
by researchers
in the NIH’s
National
Institute of
Diabetes and
Digestive and
Kidney Diseases
(NIDDK), found
that face masks
substantially
increase the
humidity in the
air that the
mask-wearer
breathes in.
This higher
level of
humidity in
inhaled air, the
researchers
suggest, could
help explain why
wearing masks
has been linked
to lower disease
severity in
people infected
with SARS-CoV-2,
because
hydration of the
respiratory
tract is known
to benefit the
immune system.
The study
published in
the Biophysical
Journal
(link is
external).
“We found that
face masks
strongly
increase the
humidity in
inhaled air and
propose that the
resulting
hydration of the
respiratory
tract could be
responsible for
the documented
finding that
links lower
COVID-19 disease
severity to
wearing a mask,”
said the study’s
lead author,
Adriaan Bax,
Ph.D., NIH
Distinguished
Investigator.
“High levels of
humidity have
been shown to
mitigate
severity of the
flu, and it may
be applicable to
severity of
COVID-19 through
a similar
mechanism.”
High levels of
humidity can
limit the spread
of a virus to
the lungs by
promoting
mucociliary
clearance (MCC),
a defense
mechanism that
removes mucus −
and potentially
harmful
particles within
the mucus − from
the lungs. High
levels of
humidity can
also bolster the
immune system by
producing
special
proteins, called
interferons,
that fight
against viruses
− a process
known as the
interferon
response. Low
levels of
humidity have
been shown to
impair both MCC
and the
interferon
response, which
may be one
reason why
people are
likelier to get
respiratory
infections in
cold weather.
The study tested
four common
types of masks:
an N95 mask, a
three-ply
disposable
surgical mask, a
two-ply
cotton-polyester
mask, and a
heavy cotton
mask. The
researchers
measured the
level of
humidity by
having a
volunteer
breathe into a
sealed steel
box. When the
person wore no
mask, the water
vapor of the
exhaled breath
filled the box,
leading to a
rapid increase
in humidity
inside the box.
When the person
wore a mask, the
buildup of
humidity inside
the box greatly
decreased, due
to most of the
water vapor
remaining in the
mask, becoming
condensed, and
being
re-inhaled. To
ensure no
leakage, the
masks were
tightly fitted
against the
volunteer’s face
using
high-density
foam rubber.
Measurements
were taken at
three different
air
temperatures,
ranging from
about 46 to 98
degrees
Fahrenheit.
The results
showed that all
four masks
increased the
level of
humidity of
inhaled air, but
to varying
degrees. At
lower
temperatures,
the humidifying
effects of all
masks greatly
increased. At
all
temperatures,
the thick cotton
mask led to the
most increased
level of
humidity. Immunity
May Last Less
Than a Year
After Infection
or Vaccination Kaiser Heath
News
reports a
number of
reinfections.
The specter of
reinfections
complicates one
of the central
questions of the
COVID-19 threat:
How long after
natural
infection or
vaccination will
people remain
immune? Early studies
suggested
immunity would
be
short-lived, only
a few months,
while
more recent
research finds
that certain
antibodies and
memory cells may
persist in Covid-infected
patients longer
than eight
months. "We actually
don't know" the
marker that
would signal
immunity, said
Dr. Jason
Goldman, an
infectious
diseases expert
at Swedish
Medical Center
in Seattle. "We
don't have the
test you could
perform to say
yes or no, you
could be
infected." Goldman and
colleagues
confirmed a case
of reinfection
in a Seattle
man last fall,
and since then
have identified
six or seven
probable cases.
"This is a much
more common
scenario than is
being
recognized," he
said. The
possibility of
reinfection
means that even
patients who've
had Covid need
to remain
vigilant about
curbing
re-exposure,
said Dr. Edgar
Sanchez, an
infectious
diseases
physician at
Orlando Health
in Florida. "A lot of
patients ask,
'How long do I
have to worry
about getting
Covid again?' "
he said. "I
literally tell
them this: 'You
are probably
safe for a few
weeks, maybe
even up to a
couple of
months, but
beyond that,
it's really
unclear.' " The message
is similar for
the wider
society, said
Dr. Bill Messer,
an expert in
viral genetics
at Oregon Health
& Science
University in
Portland, who
has been
pondering the
cultural
psychology of
the Covid
response.
Evidence
suggests there
may not be a
clear-cut return
to normal. "The idea
that we will end
this pandemic by
beating this
coronavirus, I
don't think
that's actually
the way it's
going to
happen," he
said. "I think
that it's more
likely that
we're going to
learn how to be
comfortable
living with this
new virus
circulating
among us."
Gerson Makes
Meltblown Media
for its Masks
and Filters
The Louis M.
Gerson Co., Inc.
has been in
business since
1956.
Family-owned and
operated, Gerson
is committed to
producing
high
quality products
from
air-purifying
respirators to
liquid filters
for cleaning
paints and
solvents, to
adhesively-treated
cleaning or tack
cloths for
removal of
surface
particulates.
Gerson is a
prime
manufacturer of
its principal
products,
assuring that
each product is
produced to the
unique and
exacting
specifications.
For example,
melt-blown
filter material
for particulate
filtration,
manufactured in
Middleboro,
Massachusetts,
provides
outstanding
filtration
characteristics
for filtering
facepiece
respirators and
“prefilters” for
chemical
cartridges.
To assure the
highest quality
and purity of
products as well
as user value,
all
manufacturing in
the USA facility
is automated,
utilizing
proprietary
equipment of
their own design
and manufacture.
Gerson
also
utilizes
overseas
assembly
operations,
again using
Gerson-owned and
designed
equipment, to
remain globally
competitive.
Milken Mask is
Reusable and
Eliminates Mask
Surface
Transmission
This reusable
mask uses
continuous
surface
treatment to
insure that
captured viruses
are inactivated.
Replaceable
filter changes
are recommended
on a 90 day
schedule.
The
electroceutical
surface
technology, is a
proprietary
dot-matrix
pattern of
embedded
microcell
batteries that
create an
electric field
and wirelessly
generate a low
level of
electricity when
moist.
The research on
which the design
is based found
that
“Coronavirus
with intact
infectivity
attached to PPE
surfaces pose
significant
threat to the 26
spread of
COVID-19. We
tested the
hypothesis that
an
electroceutical
fabric,
generating weak
27 potential
difference of
0.5V, disrupts
the infectivity
of coronavirus
upon contact by
destabilizing
the
electrokinetic
properties of
the virion.
Respiratory
coronavirus
particles were
placed in direct
contact with the
fabric for 1 or
5 minutes. Viral
particles were
recovered from
the fabric.
Following one
minute of
contact, zeta
potential of the
coronavirus was
significantly
lowered
indicating
destabilization
of its
electrokinetic
properties.
Size-distribution
plot showed
appearance of
aggregation of
the virus.
Testing of the
cytopathic
effects of the
virus showed
eradication of
infectivity as
quantitatively
assessed by
PI-calcein and
MTT cell
viability tests.
This work
provides the
rationale to
consider the
studied
electroceutical
fabric, or other
materials with
comparable
property, as
material of
choice for the
development of
PPE in the fight
against 36
COVID-19.”
https://mikenmask.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Ms_Final.pdf
ALG Health
Opening a Second
Mask Facility
ALG Health is
opening
a new
manufacturing
facility in
Bryan, Ohio. The
respirator mask
making facility
has 100,000 sq.
ft of space. ALG
Health, at its
peak, is
forecasted to
bring nearly 400
jobs to the
area.
ALG Health is
currently
manufacturing
its
medical-grade
respirators and
masks in
Defiance, OH,
but the
significant
increase in
demand has
required the
company find a
larger location.
According to
Owner and CEO
Adam Harmon,
“The response to
our products has
been
overwhelming,
and we needed to
find a space
that was as
close to move-in
ready as
possible.” He
continued to
explain by
stating, “It was
crucial for us
to keep the
business in
Northwest Ohio,
and we were very
fortunate to
find a location
in this area
ready to go.”
ALG Health is a
2020 division of
parent company,
Axis LED Group,
a manufacturer
of commercial
and governmental
LED lighting.
Using its
manufacturing
expertise, ALG
Health produces
personal
protective
equipment
including
disposable
surgical masks
and medical
grade
respirators.
Currently, FDA
approvals have
been received
and the company
is awaiting the
NIOSH
certification to
complete the
requirements to
become N95
certified.
Key features of
the procedural
mask are
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