Coronavirus
Technology Solutions
Dastex Outlines Cleanroom
Mask Priorities
VAI Offers Variety of Mask
Efficiencies for
Cleanrooms
Hourglass International has
Masks for Class
100 Cleanrooms
IQ Air Provides
Recommendations
for a Partially
Vaccinated
Population
In Japan Virus
Surges and
Threatens the
Olympics
______________________________________________________________________________
With a few
marked
exceptions,
Dastex’s face
masks are
neither medical
face masks
certified
according to DIN
EN 14683:2019-10
nor face masks
that have been
tested by a
Notified Body
according to
Regulation (EU)
2016/425 on
personal
protective
equipment.
Reason: The
sole purpose of
these face masks
is to limit the
transfer of
particulate and
microbiological
contaminants,
which are
emitted by the
wearer, in
cleanrooms/rooms
of technical
cleanliness, in
such a way that
primarily the
product, but
also its
production
environment, is
not
contaminated.
This also
explains the
very high
particle
filtration
efficiency (PFE)
such as
bacterial
filtration
efficiency (BFE)
required by the
cleanroom
industry for
these face
masks.
A disposable
face mask with
acceptable
filtration
efficiency
consists of
three plies
(layers),
usually made of
polyethylene non-woven
fabrics,
whereby the
middle layer is
decisive for the
filtration
efficiency. The
layer facing the
skin should be
soft and
comfortable to
wear. The outer
layer should
mainly protect
the filter
medium from
damage. A common
feature of all
face masks is
the flexible,
shapeable
embedded nose
clip at the
upper edge,
which, when
handled
correctly,
should help to
ensure that as
little
unfiltered air
as possible can
escape upwards,
past the side of
the nose wings.
Fit is important and needs to
take into
account the
varying face
sizes.
VAI Offers Variety of Mask
Efficiencies for
Cleanrooms
The PF-2 face
masks have been
innovatively
designed for use
in the
pharmaceutical,
biotechnology,
medical device,
and compounding
industries or in
any cleanroom
operation. VAI’s
PF-2 face masks
are made of 100%
rayon. The PF-2
face mask allows
for excellent
breathability,
comfort, and
protection,
while
maintaining
filtration
efficiency. The
mask is designed
to absorb
moisture,
therefore, it
continually
improves its own
filtration
efficiency. PF-2
face masks are
low in
particulate and
shedding
characteristics
and offer a
barrier between
the environment
and the user.
VAI’s PF-2 face
masks are
available in
sterile and
non-sterile
varieties with
two elastic head
straps or four
tie head straps.
VAI’s PF-4 face
masks have been
designed for
pharmaceutical,
biotechnology,
medical device,
and compounding
industries or in
any cleanroom
operation. PF-4
face masks are
made up of three
layers of
non-woven
material that
includes a soft
layer to prevent
skin irritation
or allergy
problems. A
coated metal
strip acts as a
nose piece to
keep the mask
secure when
worn. This mask
is
electro-mechanically
sealed,
completely
machine made in
a clean
environment.
PF-4 face masks
are available
sterile with two
elastic head
straps.
VAI’s FaceVectorTM masks
have been
designed for
pharmaceutical,
biotechnology,
compounding,
pharmacies, and
hospitals.
FaceVector masks
are made up of
three layers of
Spunbound
Polypropylene
(SBPP) materials
which has soft
layers that help
prevent skin
irritation or
allergy
problems. A
coated metal
strip acts as a
nose piece to
keep the mask
secure when
worn. FaceVector
masks are
available
non-sterile with
two elastic ear
loop bands.
Finally, VAI
offers a
National
Institute for
Occupational
Safety and
Health (NIOSH)
approved N95
filtering face
mask. These N95
masks have a 95%
filter
efficiency level
effective
against
particulate
aerosols free of
oil. Fit test
must be used
either
qualitatively or
quantitatively
according to 29
CFR 1910.134.
All directions
for
fitting/donning,
all cautions and
limitations, and
storage
conditions must
be followed. N95
mask model
number: GIKO
1200H, NIOSH N95
approval number:
TC-84A-4653.
Hourglass International has
Masks for Class
100 Cleanrooms
HCE™ Cleanroom Face Masks for ISO 5 /
Clean Class 100
and up, are
manufactured for
long-wearing
comfort and
protect your
cleanroom or
controlled
environment from
human
contaminants –
skin flakes,
cosmetics,
bacteria and
other particles.
·
Configured with
the cleanest non-woven
ES
(PP/PE)/meltblown
polypropylene
(MBPP)/spun-bond
polypropylene
(SBPP) materials
·
High bacterial
and particle
filtration
efficiency for protection of both product and person
·
Ear
loops, ties and
head-loops
attached to mask
body for strength
·
Manufactured and
packed in
cleanroom environment
·
Double bagged
cleanroom
packaging to ensure particle control
·
Ultra-low lint
level design for
critical
environments
·
Statistical
manufacturing process
controls ensure
consistency and
quality lot
after lot for
use in semiconductor, disc-drive, medical device, pharmaceutical and
biomed
applications
·
Ideal for
particle control –
both personal
and product
protection
Kaiser Health
News Raises
Questions About
Plasma Air
Purifiers
Last summer,
Global Plasma
Solutions wanted
to test whether
the company’s
air-purifying
devices could
kill covid-19
virus particles
but could find
only a lab using
a chamber the
size of a
shoebox for its
trials. In
the company-funded
study, the virus
was blasted with
27,000 ions per
cubic
centimeter.
The company
nonetheless
used the shoebox
results — over
99% viral
reduction — in
marketing its
device heavily
to schools as
something that
could combat
covid in
classrooms far,
far larger than
a shoebox.
School officials
desperate to
calm worried
parents bought
these devices
and others with
a flood of
federal funds,
installing them
in more than
2,000 schools
across 44
states, a KHN
investigation
found. They use
the same
technology —
ionization,
plasma and dry
hydrogen
peroxide —
that the Lancet
COVID-19 Commission
recently deemed
“often unproven”
and potential
sources of
pollution
themselves.
In the frenzy,
schools are
buying
technology that
academic
air-quality
experts warn can
lull them into a
false sense of
security or even
potentially harm
kids. And
schools often
overlook the
fact that their
trusted
contractors —
typically
engineering,
HVAC or
consulting firms
— stand to earn
big money from
the deals, KHN
found.
Academic experts
are encouraging
schools to pump
in more fresh
air and use
tried-and-true
filters, like
HEPA, to capture
the virus. Yet
every ion- or
hydroxyl-blasting
air purifier
sale strengthens
a firm’s next
pitch: The
device is doing
a great job in
the neighboring
town.
“It’s a
self-fulfilling
prophecy. The
more people buy
these
technologies,
the more they
get legitimacy,”
said Jeffrey
Siegel, a civil
engineering
professor at the
University of
Toronto. “It’s
really the
complete wild
west out there.”
Marwa Zaatari, a
member of the
American Society
of Heating,
Refrigerating
and
Air-Conditioning
Engineers’
(ASHRAE)
Epidemic Task
Force, first
compiled a list
of schools and
districts using
such devices.
Schools have
been “bombarded
with persistent
salespersons
peddling the
latest air and
cleaning
technologies,
including those
with minimal
evidence to-date
supporting
safety and
efficacy”
according to a
report released Thursday
by the Center
for Green
Schools and
ASHRAE.
Zaatari said she
was particularly
concerned that
officials in New
Jersey are
buying thousands
of devices made
by another
company that says
they emit
ozone, which can
exacerbate
asthma and harm
developing
lungs, according
to decades of
research.
“We’re going to
live in a world
where the air
quality in
schools is worse
after the
pandemic, after
all of this
money,” Zaatari
said. “It’s
really
sickening.”
The sales race
is fueled by
roughly $193
billion in
federal funds
allocated to
schools for
teacher pay and
safety upgrades
— a giant fund
that can be used
to buy air
cleaners. And
Democrats are
pushing for $100
billion more
that could also
be spent on air
cleaners.
In April, Global
Plasma Solutions
said further
tests show its devices inactivate covid
in the air and
on surfaces in
larger chambers.
The company
studies still
use about twice
the level of
ions than its
leaders have
publicly said the
devices can
deliver, KHN
found.
There is
virtually no
federal
oversight or
enforcement of
safe
air-cleaning
technology. Only
California bans
air cleaners
that emit a
certain amount
of ozone.
U.S. Rep. Robert
“Bobby” Scott
(D-Va.), chair
of the education
and labor
committee, said
the federal
government
typically is not
involved in
local decisions
of what products
to buy, although
he hopes for
more federal
guidance.
In the meantime,
“these school
systems are
dealing with
contractors
providing all
kinds of
services,” he
said, “so you
just have to
trust them to
get the best
expert advice on
what to do.”
These go-between
contractors —
and the air
cleaner
companies
themselves —
have a stake in
the sales. While
their names
might appear in
school board
records, their
role in selling
the device or
commission from
the deal is
seldom made
public, KHN
found.
A LinkedIn job
ad with
the logo for one
air purifier
company,
ActivePure
Technology,
which employs
former Trump
adviser Dr.
Deborah Birx as
its chief
medical and
science adviser,
recruited
salespeople this
way: “Make Tons
of Money with
this
COVID-killing
Technology!!”
The commission,
the post said,
is up to $900
per device.
“We have reps
[who] made over
6-figures in one
month selling to
one school
district,” the
ad says. “This
could be the
biggest
opportunity you
have seen!”
Schools in New
Jersey have a
particularly
easy time buying
air cleaners
called Odorox: A
state education
agency lists
them on their group-purchasing commodity list,
with a large
unit selling for
more than
$5,100.
Originally used
in home
restoration and
mold
remediation, the
devices have
become popular
in New Jersey
schools as the
company says its
products can inactivate
covid.
In Newark,
administrators
welcomed
students back to
class last month
with more than
3,200 Odorox
units, purchased
with $7.5
million in
federal funds,
said Steven
Morlino,
executive
director of
Facilities
Management for
Newark Public
Schools.
“I think parents
feel pretty
comfortable that
their children
are going to a
safe
environment,” he
said. “And so
did the staff.”
Environmental
health and
air-quality
experts, though,
are alarmed by
the district’s
plan.
Since the coronavirus is spread through mucous
membranes, which
are the thin
mucus-producing
layers that line
your airways, it
is important to
avoid close
contact. This is
how most
infections
occur.
What you can do:
·
Choose an
appropriate
mask. Protection for yourself and others
will vary based
on the type of
mask you wear.
Be sure you know the differences between masks before
you purchase
one. Properly
wearing masks is
also essential
to infection
control and
for helping
prevent
transmission.
Until there is
widespread
vaccination and
herd immunity is
achieved, it is
essential to
continue wearing
a mask even when
fully
vaccinated.
·
Keep 6 feet
apart from the
next person so that you are out of harm’s way in case they sneeze or cough.
·
Do not share
utensils, cups,
dishes, pens,
etc.
·
Do not touch
people. This
includes
handshakes,
hugs, and other
common sources
of physical
contact.
·
Keep meetings
small with enough
space to be six
feet apart or
join with video
conferencing.
When an infected person coughs or
sneezes, not all
of the mucous
membrane that’s
released lands
on surfaces –
there is a
portion of that
mucous that
remains
airborne.
These small respiratory droplets, 5
microns in
diameter or
smaller, can
remain in the
air and travel
on air currents
far from their
source. The
distance can
depend on
environmental
factors but can
be over 3 feet
and beyond.
If the air is left unfiltered after
dozens of coughs
or sneezes over
the course of
several hours,
the airborne
concentration of
the virus can
become very
high. In fact,
in hospital
settings or in
the homes of
people who are
infected, the
airborne
concentration
can be so high
that simply
breathing in
this environment
can cause
infection.
This is why health workers, medical
professionals,
and first
responders need
special safety
equipment, such
as N95 masks.
What you can do:
·
Keep 6 feet
apart from the
next person so that you are out of harm’s way in case they sneeze or cough.
·
Avoid stagnant
air. Keep your
HVAC running on
fan "ON"
setting—not
"AUTO"—to ensure
that the air is
always moving. HVAC
air filtration can
help reduce
airborne
infectious
material. If
there is no HVAC
in your office,
keep windows
open as often as
possible. This
helps ensure
that airborne
viruses are
diluted to
non-critical
levels.
·
Use a
high-performance
air purifier. Some
air purifiers
can help reduce
airborne
viruses and
improve air
quality at work
when source
control
measures, such
as handwashing,
wearing masks,
and maintaining
social distance,
are being
practiced in
workplaces.
·
Consider using
a personal air
purifier. A personal air purifier in your
workplace can
help provide
direct access to
clean air.
In Japan Virus
Surges and
Threatens the
Olympics
Trains packed with
commuters
returning to
work after a
weeklong
national
holiday.
Frustrated young
people drinking
in the streets
because bars are
closed. Protests
planned over a
possible visit
by the Olympics
chief.
As the coronavirus spreads
in Japan ahead
of the Tokyo
Olympics
starting in 11
weeks, one of
the world’s
least vaccinated
nations is
showing signs of
strain, both
societal and
political.
The government — desperate
to show a
worried public
it is in control
of virus efforts
even as it
pushes a massive
sporting event
that a growing
number of
Japanese oppose
hosting in a
pandemic — on
Friday announced
a decision to
expand and
extend a state
of emergency in
Tokyo and other
areas through
May 31.
For Prime Minister
Yoshihide Suga,
the emergency
declaration is
both a health
measure and a
political
tightrope walk
as domestic
criticism rises
of Japan’s
seeming
determination to
hold the
Olympics at any
cost.
“I understand there are
concerns about
hosting the
Olympics,” Suga
said. He said
foreign athletes
and other
participants
will be strictly
separated from
the Japanese
public and that
“it is possible
to hold a safe
and secure
Olympics while
protecting the
people’s lives
and health.”
Suga said a donation of
vaccines by
Pfizer Inc. to
the
International
Olympic
Committee for
athletes will be
“a big
contribution” to
a safe games.
A speculated mid-May visit
by International
Olympic
Committee
President Thomas
Bach has become
“extremely
difficult”
because of the
extension of the
emergency,
Japanese
organizing chief
Seiko Hashimoto
said at a news
conference
Friday.
The government has also
been criticized
over its
snail-paced
vaccination
rollout, which
has fully
covered less
than 1% of the
population since
inoculations
began in
mid-February.
Suga pledged on Friday to
speed up
inoculations so
all 36 million
elderly Japanese
can be fully
vaccinated by
the end of July.
He set a daily
target of 1
million shots,
more than 20
times the
current daily
average, but did
not explain how
that would be
possible amid a
dire shortage of
medical workers
who can give
vaccinations.
Japan has avoided
implementing a
hard lockdown to
curb infections,
and past states
of emergency
have had little
teeth, with
people and
businesses free
to ignore the
provisions.
These measures
have since been
toughened, but
they come as
citizens show
increased
impatience and
less desire to
cooperate,
making it
possible that
the emergency
declaration will
be less
effective.
The current state of
emergency in
Tokyo and Osaka,
Kyoto and Hyogo
prefectures in
the west was
scheduled to end
Tuesday. Suga
said his
government has
decided to
extend it in
those areas and
expand it to
Aichi in central
Japan and
Fukuoka in the
south.
On Friday, two days after
“Golden Week”
holiday makers
returned to
their daily
routine, Tokyo
logged 907 new
cases of
coronavirus
infections, up
sharply from 635
when the state
of emergency
began in the
capital last
month, but far
above the target
of 100 that some
experts
recommend.
Officials and
experts say
significantly
fewer people may
have been tested
for the virus
during the
holiday, when
many testing
centers and
hospitals were
closed, and
caution the
numbers during
and right after
the holiday
period may not
reflect reality.
During the
holidays,
significantly
more people than
last year were
seen at tourist
spots in Kyoto
and Nara despite
stay-at-home
requests. With
drinking places
closed, younger
people carrying
canned beer and
snacks gathered
in parks and
streets in
downtown Tokyo.
When the holiday
ended, many
defied requests
for remote work
and returned to
their offices on
packed trains.
The extension
deepens
uncertainties
over a
speculated May
17 visit by
International
Olympics
Committee
President Thomas
Bach, and
whether Japan
can safely host
the Olympics
postponed from
last year and
currently
scheduled for
July 23-Aug. 8.
Despite
criticism for
being slow to
take virus
measures, Suga
has been
reluctant to
hurt the already
pandemic-damaged
economy and
pledged to keep
the state of
emergency “short
and intensive,”
though experts
said just over
two weeks would
be too short to
effectively slow
the infections
and even the
extension may be
insufficient.
Dr. Shigeru
Omi, head of a
government
taskforce,
cautioned
officials Friday
that a hasty
lifting of the
emergency would
only invite an
immediate
resurgence.
The ongoing
emergency is
Japan’s third
and came only a
month after an
earlier measure
ended in the
Tokyo area.
Less
stringent,
quasi-emergency
measures will be
expanded to
eight
prefectures from
the current six,
where bars and
restaurants are
required to
close early.
Japan has had
about 621,000
cases including
about 10,600
deaths since the
pandemic began.
Medical
systems in
hardest-hit
Osaka have been
under severe
pressure from a
COVID-19
outbreak there
that is
hampering
ordinary health
care, experts
say. A number of
patients died at
home recently
after their
conditions
worsened while
waiting for
vacancies at
hospitals.
Past
emergency
measures
authorized only
non-mandatory
requests. The
government in
February
toughened a law
on anti-virus
measures to
allow
authorities to
issue binding
orders for
nonessential
businesses to
shorten their
hours or close,
in exchange for
compensation for
those who comply
and penalties
for violators.
Shutdown
requirements
will be eased
somewhat. Bars,
karaoke studios
and most other
entertainment
facilities will
be required to
remain closed
until the end of
May, but
department
stores will be
able to operate
for shorter
hours and
stadiums and
concert halls
will be allowed
to have up to
5,000 people or
half their
capacity.
Wearing
masks, staying
home and other
measures for the
general public
remain
non-mandatory
requests.
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