Coronavirus
Technology Solutions
Concentrated
Contamination
Capture is the
Route to Cost
Effectiveness
ICS is Active in
Europe as Well
as the U.S. with
Certification
Services
JABIL Delivering
Three Ply
Surgical Masks
from Memphis
Facility
American
Surgical Mask
Producing Up to
150,000 Surgical
Masks per Day Lanaco is and is Not Sheepish About Their Filters
Extraction Arm
from Nederman is
a Great CCC
Example
Pfizer and
Moderna Vaccines
Less Effective
Against South
African
Variant
_____________________________________________________________________________
Concentrated
Contamination
Capture is the
Route to Cost
Effectiveness
There are two
ways to battle
COVID: avoidance
and or capture.
Avoidance
involves
lockdowns and
social
distancing and
should be
minimized if
capture will
provide the same
level of safety.
Capture
can very cost
effective
depending
on the degree of
Concentrated
Contaminant
Capture (CCC)
The cost of
capture is a
function of the
amount of air
treated and not
the amount of
contamination
removed So the
goal is CCC.
The ultimate in
diluted capture
is the cleanroom.
If you have an
entire ceiling
of HEPA filters
and you blow air
through them and
then provide a
perforated floor
to insure all
contaminants
flow down and
out, then that
may be all you
need.
But keep
in mind that the
Class 100
cleanroom
cost is
typically
$1000/ft2. But
even with all
this filtered
air it is
recognized that
people shed
millions of skin
particles as
well as
potential
viruses and
therefore all
the cleanroom
personnel have
more PPE than
would a surgeon.
It is well
recognized that
once
contaminants are
dispersed it is
very costly to
filter them. The
reason is
simple. Cost is
a function of
the amount of
air processed
and not the
amount of
contaminants
removed. A mask
can eliminate
all the COVID-19
generated by the
wearer and
handle less than
1 cfm and a
total cost of a
few dollars.
If a localized
capture device
such as the
Nederman
extraction arm,
described today
in
Coronavirus
Technology
Solutions,
is utilized,
most of the
contaminant is
captured with
less than 100
cfm.
A room air
purifier in the
bedroom of an
infected person
can remove as
much contaminant
with 500 cfm as
would a house
HVAC system with
5,000 cfm.
If both
transmitter and
recipient are
wearing
efficient masks
then other
measures such as
social
distancing
become minor by
comparison. All
the controversy
over occupancy
rates is better
served focusing
on mask
efficiency
including
penetration and
leakage. There
is a direct
numerical
relationship
between
occupancy rate
and mask
effectiveness.
If people wear
masks which are
60% effective
and the
occupancy rate
is 60% the risks
is the same as
with people
wearing 90%
effective masks
and the
occupancy rate
is 90%.
ICS is Active in
Europe as Well
as the U.S. with
Certification
Services
ICS Laboratories
is a leading
source for
accredited
third-party
conformity
assessment of
respiratory
protective
equipment. ICS
tests
respirators,
filters,
cartridges and
their many
associated
devices and
accessories to a
wide range of US
(NIOSH),
European (EN)
and Australian
(AS/NZS)
standards. Their
capabilities are
extensive and
range from
disposable
half-mask
filtering face
piece
respirators to
specialized
equipment
designed to
protect against
chemical,
biological,
radiological and
nuclear
respiratory
hazards (CBRN).
Within the
European Union,
regulations
mandate that
personal
protective
products be
CE-certified
before they can
legally be
placed on the
market. ICS
Laboratories is
a complete
resource for any
manufacturer
seeking to
attain CE
certification in
order to sell
their protective
equipment in the
United Kingdom
or Europe. ICS’
facilities and
personnel enable
it to offer the
most competitive
prices and lead
times for the
requisite EN and
ISO tests that
must support CE
certification
for PPE. Beyond
the utmost
quality test
work and the
associated
endorsed
reports, ICS
Labs truly makes
CE-certification
a turn-key
service for
their clients,
coordinating
documentation
and facilitating
assembly and
review of the
final technical
file.
ICS Laboratories
is accredited to
perform
conformity
assessments on a
wide range of
Category 2 and
Category 3 PPE
according to EN
and ISO product
standards and
test methods.
ICS has
cultivated a
working
relationship
with CCQS UK, a
premier
certification
organization.
CCQS is a
registered
European
Notified Body
and is
positioned to
efficiently
process CE
certifications
for products
that are tested
by ICS Labs.
They maintain
contacts
throughout the
world, and
operate an
office in the
Republic of
Ireland,
enabling
hassle-free
processing
CE-mark
processing with
regard to the
Brexit
narrative.
Working
together, ICS
Laboratories
and CCQS offer
an integrated
resource for
personal
protective
equipment
manufacturers
working to
comply with
EU PPE
Regulation 2016/425.
Both
organizations
are accredited
and
internationally
recognized as
experts at their
respective
functions:
conformity
assessment and
product
certification.
ICS not only has
expertise in
protective
equipment
testing, but
through decades
of experience,
has also
attained
familiarity with
certification programs
and schemes over
the world. Their
alliances with
highly competent
organizations
means that their
CE-certification
customers
receive valuable
information and
attentive
support through
the
certification
process.
JABIL Delivering
Three Ply
Surgical Masks
from Memphis
Facility
Jabil announced
that together
with its
subsidiary
medical device
company, NP
Medical, Inc.,
the company is
ready to deliver
personal
protective
equipment (PPE)
orders of
medical-quality, FDA-cleared,
made in USA face
masks, directly
and reliably
sourced through
Jabil’s
U.S.-based
operations in
Memphis,
Tennessee. As a
GSA-Schedule
holder, Jabil is
positioned to
quickly support
the mask mandate
recently issued
by President
Biden, requiring
individuals to
wear masks on
federal property
as well as on
planes, trains,
buses and at
airports.
“Our work with
local and state
governments to
fulfill
high-volume
orders of PPE
made in the USA
means the
general
population can
get access to
these highly
effective
masks,” said
Charlie Main,
senior vice
president of
business
development,
Jabil. “Designed
to meet the
stringent
protection
requirements of
operating room
personnel,
general
healthcare
workers and
their patients,
these masks are
ideal for
protecting
employees and
complying with
the mask
mandate.”
The NP Medical
nPro™
single-use,
disposable,
FDA-cleared
three-ply
surgical masks
provide
excellent
protection and
are designed to
meet ASTM
F2100-19 Level 1
requirements,
providing over
99% Sub-micron
Particulate
(PFE) and
Bacterial
Filtration
Efficiency
(BFE). The masks
feature elastic
ear loops, an
adjustable nose
wire and
vertically
adjustable
pleats to ensure
a snug and
comfortable fit.
“Jabil, like so
many
manufacturers in
America, has
stepped up to
the challenges
of the pandemic,
including
shifting U.S.
facilities to
mask and PPE
production, for
which there is
much demand,”
said National
Association of
Manufacturers
President and
CEO Jay Timmons.
Jabil is
offering these
masks as a
directly
sourced,
reliable supply
of PPE for large
orders.
Jabil is a
manufacturing
solutions
provider with
over 260,000
employees across
100 locations in
30 countries.
The world's
leading brands
rely on Jabil's
unmatched
breadth and
depth of
end-market
experience,
technical and
design
capabilities,
manufacturing
know-how, supply
chain insights
and global
product
management
expertise.
American
Surgical Mask
Producing Up to
150,000 Surgical
Masks per Day
“American
Surgical Mask is
a U.S. based
3-ply mask
manufacturer
based in Tampa,
FL. The company
currently
operates a
10,000 square
foot facility
producing over
150,000 ASTM
Level 1 masks
per day. Their 3-Ply disposable surgical masks are manufactured in Tampa, Florida with US sourced materials. Their executive and management team is highly diverse and minority. Their ownership is highly diversified and consists of professionals with experience in medical, energy, construction and the food/beverage industries.
Their
state-of-the-art
10,000 sf
manufacturing
facility has
been upgraded to
house up to
eight automated
machines that
are each capable
of producing
over 80 masks a
minute. Their
facility follows
the strictest
guidelines of
the CDC to
protect their
employees and
their families
in this pandemic
environment.
Lanaco is and is
Not Sheepish
About Their
Filters
A New Zealand
Company touts
the benefits of
sheep’s
wool with strong
electrostatic
charges.
Lanaco
makes several
types of masks
with varying
efficiencies.
The WAIRE™ P2 respirator
mask must be
fitted and
adjusted
correctly to
your face to
provide the
intended
protection.
·
WAIRE™ P2 can
also be used in
certain
applications
against some
bio-aerosols,
such as COVID
and FLU
virus. Helps
protect against
airborne
biological
particles -
Fluid resistant
(120 mm Hg
synthetic blood
resistance)
·
Lightweight
construction for
added comfort
that may
increase wearer
time. Has
a 4-point head
harness for a
secure and
comfortable fit
·
Nose wire allows
the wearer to
shape to the
nose, reducing
eyewear fogging
and forming a
better seal.
·
Made from Lanaco
HELIX™ Advanced
Filter Material
for effective
filtration with
low breathing
resistance
(104Pa @ 95l/m)
·
Does not contain
components made
from natural
rubber latex
·
Protects against
hazards, such as
dust, mists,
smoke and fumes
·
Complies with
AS/NZS
1716:2012 standard
and approved at
a P2 level
·
Exceeds 95%
filtration
efficiency in
laboratory
testing when
tested at 95
L/min against a
salt aerosol (VicLab
Australia,
INSPEC United
Kingdom)
·
Advanced wool
hybrid
electrostatic
filter media –
low breathing
resistance,
moisture-wicking
and naturally
bacteriostatic
In May 2018, a
call went out to
Lanaco, a New
Zealand company
that develops
and produces
wool filter
material, with a
focus at that
point on
personal
protective
equipment in the
workspace and
air pollution
filtration.
The Jacobs team
was especially
interested in
particle
filtration,
which intrigued
Lanaco founder
Nick Davenport
because, though
his company
hadn’t been
working on
emergency
breathing
devices, he knew
wool was well
suited to such
an application.
Davenport, a
materials
applications
engineer, and
his colleagues
had noticed the
interesting
properties of
wool while
working with
polymers about a
decade earlier.
“The deeper we
dug into the
science of wool
and how it could
perform in an
industrial
application,
using new
science, the
more we saw
there was an
opportunity,” he
says. Wool is
naturally
resistant to
fire and
bacteria, and it
manages water
well.
Davenport and
his colleagues
wondered why
this
extraordinary
material wasn’t
being used for
filtration
around the
world. They
realized air
filter
technology was
focused on
synthetic
materials,
overlooking this
natural
alternative.
He founded
Lanaco and
developed his
proprietary wool
filter
technology. The
company has
built up a
specialized
commercial flock
of sheep by
working with a
top breeder to
maximize the
qualities that
make good
filters and to
reduce the
material’s
variability.
“We analyzed the
wool fiber from
hundreds of
different types
of sheep and
then established
a breeding
program to
specifically
focus on the
attributes that
we needed to
make the world’s
best all-natural
fiber air filter
for respiratory
applications,”
Davenport says.
Wiles and her
team at Jacobs
were looking
specifically for
a prefilter that
could fit over
NASA’s existing
fire cartridge
to increase the
life of the
system for
Orion. Lanaco
then began to
tailor its Helix
filter for the
application.
The particles
that would fly
around in the
event of a
spacecraft
fire—including
droplets of
water used to
extinguish a
blaze—are
potentially
small and hot,
and the existing
technology is
typically made
of polymers with
a relatively low
melting point,
Davenport says.
A product like
wool, which
doesn’t promote
a fire or
degrade rapidly
under hot
particles, has
clear
advantages.
“As a prefilter,
our technology
enables the main
filter to
function in the
presence of
those hot
particles and
dangerous
gases,”
Davenport says.
Prior to the
NASA contract,
Lanaco had not
been working
directly in the
area of critical
breathing
applications.
Now the company
has some
expertise, with
wool performing
particularly
well in fire
resistance and
moisture.
We have
commenced
developing some
of the features
in the NASA
application of
our filters for
use in critical
respiratory
applications,”
says Davenport.
Extraction Arm
from Nederman is
a Great CCC
Example
During the
COVID-19
pandemic, health
risks associated
with exposure to
hazardous
aerosols during
routine dental
procedures and
the potential
transmission of
infectious
diseases became
even more of a
concern.
Considering the
potential for
patients
infected with
COVID-19 to
transmit the
virus while
asymptomatic, it
should be
assumed that all
patients can
transmit
disease. As the
most important
layer of the
total protection
strategy, the
effectiveness of
Nederman’s
enhanced disease
protection
system was
evaluated in
collaboration
with the leading
dental
university in
Istanbul, Turkey
- Marmara
University
Faculty of
Dentistry,
established in
1952.
Aerosol
generating
processes (AGPs)
during dental
procedures
create high
concentrations
of aerosols
containing
particulates of
various sizes.
This particulate
matter carry
contaminants,
viruses, saliva,
blood etc. Due
to the nature of
how dental
procedures are
conducted,
dentists who
work closely
with patients
are frequently
exposed to
potentially
dangerous
aerosols and
media
frequently. If
this media is
not collected
from where it is
generated, it
will spread and
travel with
ambient air onto
equipment and
surfaces,
potentially
infecting dental
healthcare
staff, patients
and more. There
was no available
study on a real
dental setting
evaluating
effectiveness of
the Nederman
Aerosol Control
System,
especially
during the
pandemic period.
With the
collaboration of
Marmara
University
Faculty of
Dentistry, a
study was done
with four
different
operation types
and six cases
using Nederman FX2
Extraction Arm, Combi-Hood and N-Series
Fan in
order to
evaluate the
system
effectiveness by
comparing
aerosol
concentrations
of cases with
and without
aerosol control
system use. The
main objective
of the tests are
to see if the
system is able
to decrease
aerosol
concentration
close to ideal
levels avoiding
aerosols to
spread
throughout the
room and into
the patient’s
and staff’s
breathing zone.
It was observed
that without any
aerosol control
system, aerosol
concentrations
increased
dramatically
during AGP’s.
Also, after the
Nederman aerosol
control system
was turned on,
the aerosol
concentration
decreased close
to the ideal
reference
levels. If the
complete test
data is examined
together, it can
be concluded
that the red
shaded area of
high aerosol
concentrations
can be removed
successfully by
aerosol suction
before into a
controlled
environment.
In addition, the
observed amounts
of aerosols
accumulating
onto the
dentists’
glasses, masks
and protective
equipment
decreased
substantially
and created a
comfortable
working
environment.
The test results
showed a
reduction in
aerosol exposure
of greater than
90% to the
dentist.
Freudenberg has
the Products to
Create Safe
Bubbles
With its air
filters, masks,
and service
Freudenberg can
provide
substantial
assistance in
creating safe
bubbles.
“For more than
60 years, we
have been using
our filters at
our customers'
sites and
providing
maintenance
services to
ensure
consistent
quality and
safety – the
filters are
tailored to each
individual
customer and
application,"
explains Dr.
Thomas Caesar,
Director Global
Filter
Engineering of
the Industrial
Filtration
Division.
In addition to
pure filtration
products,
Freudenberg also
offers
tailor-made
service
solutions.
Ventilation
systems that are
well maintained,
hygienically
perfect and
equipped with
highly effective
air filters make
a valuable
contribution to
this. In the
current
coronavirus
situation,
Freudenberg
Filtration
Technologies has
added two new
hygiene modules
to its Viledon
filterCair air
quality
management
system. Both
include a
ventilation
system check to
protect
employees from
infections and
food from
contamination,
and thus protect
companies from
the economic
consequences of
temporary
closure.
"In the long
run,
cost-savings can
be made if the
filters are not
only adapted to
the application
but also to
local fine dust
pollution,"
explains Caesar.
There is
increasing
evidence that
higher levels of
air pollution
lead to more
severe disease.
Filter
technology will
therefore
continue to
become
increasingly
relevant in the
future. In the
context of
infection
control, it
offers – in
addition to its
previous use in
clinics and
industry – a
solution for
reducing the
risk of
infections
associated with
the accumulation
of people in
indoor public
spaces.
We reported on
the FDA
clearance of
Freudenberg
surgical masks
yesterday. It is
also providing
masks for the
public using a
novel spunbond
media produced
by NWI.
Freudenberg
provides the
textile
manufacturing
expertise and
work force
needed to
install, operate
and maintain the
four new
production
lines. "As the
leader in the
development of
the next
generation of
nonwovens, we
knew we could
step in and help
fill this
critical need.
By partnering
with Freudenberg,
we will ensure
the reliable
completion of
millions of
protective face
coverings to
battle the
coronavirus
using NWI’s
novel filter
media”, says
Behnam
Pourdeyhimi,
executive
director of the
Nonwovens
Institute. Once
fully
operational the
site will be
able to produce
more than one
million masks a
month.
Pfizer and
Moderna Vaccines
Less Effective
Against South
African Variant
The two
coronavirus
vaccines
developed
by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna appear
to be highly
effective
against the more
transmissible
variant of the
virus first
detected in
Britain,
according to
newly published
studies in the
New England
Journal of
Medicine, in a
potential boost
to vaccination
efforts around
the globe.
The vaccines,
however, showed
a decreased
ability to
neutralize the
strain now
dominant in
South Africa,
worrying some
researchers and
prompting Pfizer
and BioNTech to
announce they
were taking
necessary steps
to develop a
booster shot or
updated vaccine.
A day after
Pfizer’s
announcement, a
top White House
coronavirus adviser
said each
vaccine
developer is
planning to
update shots to
address
variants.
“Each of the
vaccine
companies — and
I’ve talked to
all of them,
both the ones
approved and the
candidates —
have plans to
continue to
update their
vaccines, and if
need be, create
boosters down
the road if
there continue
to be additional
mutants, as
there likely
will be,” Andy
Slavitt said
during a
Washington Post
live interview
on Thursday.
Here are some
significant
developments:
The importance
of good
ventilation in
schools is the
theme of Sarah
Sparks in a
recent
Education Week
article which is
excerpted below.
Similar articles
on the benefits
of efficient
tight fitting
masks are one of
the routes to
insure that the
right choices
are made by
teachers and
parents relative
to mask
selection.
Guidance from
the Centers for
Disease Control
and Prevention
released last
week provided
significantly
more detail on
how schools
should approach
issues like
community spread
and mask use
when deciding
how to reopen
schools safely
during the
pandemic. But
critics say the
new
recommendations
downplay the
importance of improving
indoor air
quality and
ventilation to
prevent the
spread of the
airborne virus.
“The guidance
addresses
near-field
(close contact)
inhalation dose
with masks and
distancing.
That’s good,”
said Richard
Corsi, the dean
of engineering
and computer
science at
Portland State
University, an
expert on indoor
air quality, via
a tweet.
“Ventilation is
given lip
service with
little guidance.
Incredibly
disappointing.
The lack of
understanding of
ventilation or
its importance
(or perhaps just
disregard) is
wholly obvious.”
Early in the
pandemic, public
health officials
believed the
coronavirus was
spread mainly
through
droplets—virus-laden
liquids larger
than 5 microns
across. The
current rules on
social
distancing come
in part from
studies that
find a cough or
sneeze can
project these
droplets several
feet away, where
they may hang in
the air for
several minutes
before landing
on surfaces.
But more recent
studies have
found that
COVID-19 spreads
through much
smaller
aerosolized
particles, which
both travel
farther and hang
in the air
indefinitely
unless blown
away. That makes
keeping air
circulating—safely—much
more important.
One new study of
the coronavirus
in buildings
found that
because of the
viruses’
transmissibility
and tendency to
hang in the air
over time,
administrators
may not be able
to rely on
the normal rate
of air flow from
their
ventilation
systems to clear
virus particles
from the air.
And a separate
new study of
Dutch schools
found aerosols
built up
steadily in
school gyms even
when they had
ventilation,
but the
combination of
increased
ventilation and
the use of
mobile air
filters cut the
concentration of
aerosols in the
rooms by 80 to
90 percent.
However, the
CDC’s other
recommendations to
bolster
ventilation beyond
opening doors
and windows have
costs that can
add up quickly
for schools: The
agency estimated
fans at $100
each; $500 each
for portable
HEPA filters;
and $1,500 to
provide
ultraviolet
germicidal
irradiation to
counter the
coronavirus in
ducts above
rooms with
limited
ventilation.
“What is most
helpful is that
ventilation
systems work as
they were
designed,’ said
Zimmerman in a
briefing.
“Overhauling
ventilation
systems, HEPA
filters, those
types of things
have not been
demonstrated to
result in
reduced
transmission.
Certainly, we
think they could
potentially work
based on the
fact that they
are filtering
air and things
of that nature,
but there is no
evidence that
reduced
transmission has
occurred because
we had these
things in place.
So, the most
important thing
would be to have
ventilation
systems that
actually work.”
Yet what “works”
when it comes to
getting rid of
aerosolized
virus can seem
to run counter
to what schools
might otherwise
want in their
building’s HVAC
system. Take,
for example, one
new study
of COVID-19
transmission
rates in New
York City
schools as
they started to
reopen.
Researchers
tracked COVID-19
transmission
rates in more
than 100
classrooms
across the city
as the seasons
changed.
Transmission
rates rose as
schools switched
over from air
conditioning—which
often
incorporates
more natural
ventilation— to
heating. Newer
and better
resourced
schools were
also more likely
to have higher
transmission
rates.
“Surprisingly,”
the researchers
noted, “schools
located in older
buildings and
lower-income
neighborhoods
had lower
transmission
probabilities,
likely due to
the greater
outdoor airflow
associated with
an older,
nonrenovated
buildings that
allow air to
leak in (in
other words,
drafty
buildings).
Improving indoor
air quality may
do more than
just help
schools tamp
down on COVID-19
outbreaks,
though. One
study last year
found improving
air quality also
boosted reading
and math
achievement,
particularly for
disadvantaged
students living
in areas with
outdoor
pollution.
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