Coronavirus Technology Solutions
June 4, 2020
IQAir Makes Case for Room Purifiers for Both
COVID and Air Pollution
Magneto Cleantech is Getting Good Press Coverage
in India but We Need More Details
Washington University Researcher Finds That Only
1 microgram per cubic meter Increase in PM 2.5
is Associated with a 15% Increased COVID Death
Rate
Photoionizer Based Electrostatic Precipitator
Has High Particle Removal Plus Inactivates
Viruses
Efficiency of Face Masks Also Being Investigated
by Washington University Researchers
Lifetime of Airborne Viruses Being Determined
Covalon Technologies Anti-Microbial can be
Applied to Skin
Bentley Systems Software to Help Facilities
Managers with Social Distancing
Connnect 2 Cleanrooms has COVID Advice for
Laboratories and R&D Facilities
__________________________________________________________________________
IQAir Makes Case for Room Purifiers for Both
COVID and Air Pollution
IQAir, is one of the firms whose technology is
being used to try and limit the spread of
COVID-2019, with its air purifiers being put to
use in hospitals treating coronavirus patients.
IQAir earlier gained prominence in 2002 when the
Hong Kong Hospital Authority (HKHA) had deployed
its air purifiers in facilities treating SARS
victims. Earlier this year, IQAir sent emergency
shipments to Wuhan, Hong Kong, and cities in
South Korea, the company's CEO Jens Hammes
reported.
IQAir's air purifiers start at Rs. 1,20,000 in
India, which is over ten times more than Xiaomi's value-for-money
air purifiers, and even luxury brands
like Dyson cost only half as much. But Hammes
pointed out that these machines — which are
typically purchased by institutions and not
individuals — offer greater longevity and
efficiency than a typical consumer product. He
also added that the IQAir purifiers can filter
particles down to 0.003 micron in size, compared
to the 0.3 microns listed for the Mi Air
Purifier. Coronavirus particles have
been measured to be between 0.06 and 0.14
microns.
Hammes was in New Delhi in January where he,
along with Barun Aggarwal, CEO of IQAir's Indian
marketing partner Breathe Easy, shared their
views about the spread of coronavirus, with the
media.
Both men stressed that while coronavirus is a
major risk and every country needs to take
measures to prevent it from spreading, India has
a big problem. Air pollution in India is killing
more people than coronavirus, they noted, and
said that as per IQAir's 2019 World Air Quality
Report, 21 of the 30 most polluted cities in the
world are located here. The WHO has set an
annual mean exposure threshold of 10 micrograms
per cubic meter of PM 2.5 (particles up to 2.5
micron size). For India, that exposure figure
stands at 98.6 micrograms per cubic meter, which
falls in the “unhealthy” AQI range of 151-200.
In fact, no Indian city meets the WHO threshold
of minimal PM 2.5 exposure.
Hammes pointed out that worldwide air pollution
accounts for 43 percent of all deaths and
diseases from chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease, 29 percent of all deaths from lung
cancer, and 17 percent of all deaths caused by
respiratory infections. Apart from that, the
reduced life expectancy and medical expenses
also create a huge financial burden, and he
warned that the situation in India needs to be
addressed by the people and the government
urgently.
“I've always said that the cost of not doing
anything to fix your air pollution is much
higher than the actual cost of fixing the
problem,” Breathe Easy's Aggarwal added.
Magneto Cleantech is Getting Good Press Coverage
in India but We Need More Details
Magneto Cleantech is selling filters based on
what it calls an advanced magnetic separator
system to mitigate the coronavirus and other
contaminants.
Our question is how does it differ from
the two stage precipitators which are
widely used for air treatment in buildings
around the world. we are contacting the company
and will await answers.
Gurugram-based startup, Magneto Cleantech, says
that the system integrates with existing air
conditioning equipment to provide clean air in
office complexes, hotels and other large closed
spaces. Based on a patent pending magnetic,
filter less technology, the devices provide
central air cleaning for large spaces removing
particulate matter (PM 2.5), VOCs and infectious
microbes from the air.
Himanshu Agarwal, CEO and founder,
Magneto Cleantech says: “The products have
energy saving benefits due to a very low
pressure drop on the air conditioner and clean
the air holistically, removing dust, microbials
and even harmful gases.”
Agarwal points to the increasing evidence
suggesting that centralized air conditioning
units can be a source of contamination and may
add to the risk of virus transmission. Droplets
containing the virus from cough or sneeze can be
as small as 1 micron in size and can travel
large distances, especially through air
conditioning. However, the solution designed by
Magneto Cleantech can capture and kill the virus
according to Agarwal.
The system is described as an advanced magnetic
air purification technology that works on a
micro-trapping process harnessing the combined
effects of impingement, polarization, and
agglomeration. A dual polarity is created
through an underlying dielectric mesh, trapping
very fine particles and neutralizing
bio-aerosols from the air. It is a Trap and Kill
process that removes PM 2.5, disease-causing
germs and allergens in recirculating systems at
an exceptionally high efficiency without any
recurring costs. This core system is included in
the Magneto Central Air Cleaner range of
products.
Magneto Cleantech is a member of the Magneto
group of companies, which provides heating,
ventilation and air conditioning related
products and services. It was founded in March
2018 by Himanshu Agarwal and Bhanu Agarwal, a
young software engineer and entrepreneur. The
startup is bootstrapped, and it is looking at
raising capital as it scales in 2020.
Within one year of its launch, Magneto’s
products have been adopted by corporates such as
Apple, Uber, Nokia, DLF,
and more. Godrej Properties recently
launched its Air apartments in Gurugram using
Magneto’s technology, and several hotel groups
such as Leela, Oberoi, and Taj are adopting its
technology. While the primary target audience
has been locations with large spaces such as
hotels, offices, schools, large homes, etc.,
Magneto is widening its product range to deliver
solutions even for small spaces. “There are also
numerous homeowners that are very pleased with
our products. We’re also exploring collaboration
possibilities with air conditioner manufacturers
and air quality testing companies,” says
Agarwal.
Magneto generates revenue from the sale,
installation, and maintenance of its products
directly and through its dealers. It is in the
process of developing its network of dealers,
contractors, and consultants. “
Washington University Researcher Finds That Only
1 microgram per cubic meter Increase in PM 2.5
is Associated with a 15% Increased COVID Death
Rate
Randall
Martin,
professor of energy, environmental and chemical
engineering and his group are applying satellite
remote sensing to assess how air pollution is
changing around the world in response to
COVID-19. He also is collaborating with
colleagues to understand how air pollution
affects COVID-19 mortality rates.
Data from his group were included in a national
study published April 5 by Harvard University on
long-term exposure to air pollution and COVID-19
mortality in the United States.
The study, featured
in The New York Times,
found that an increase of only 1 microgram per
cubic meter in PM2.5 — fine particulate matter
that can embed in the respiratory tract — is
associated with a 15% increase in the COVID-19
death rate.
Photoionizer Based Electrostatic Precipitator
Has High Particle Removal Plus Inactivates
Viruses
Pratim Biswas,
Washington University assistant vice
chancellor; chair of the Department of Energy,
Environmental & Chemical Engineering; the Lucy &
Stanley Lopata Professor; and head of the
Aerosol and Air Quality Research Laboratory
(AAQRL) and other Researchers in the
university’s Aerosol and Air Quality Research
Laboratory are working with physicians Stephen
Y. Liang, MD, assistant professor of medicine,
and Laura Marks, MD, PhD, a fourth-year fellow,
both in the Division of Infectious Diseases
at the School of Medicine. Liang and Marks are
on the frontline with COVID-19 patients and are
deploying IoT-enabled sensors to monitor
airborne concentrations, providing health care
workers with a quick overview of conditions in
patient observing rooms.
Biswas also has a patented air cleaning
technology: a photoionizer-based electrostatic
precipitator, which not only removes particles
with very high efficiency, but has been proved
to completely inactivate bioagents, including a
range of viruses. This would be ideal to use in
ventilated, indoor environments.
Efficiency of Face Masks Also Being Investigated
by Washington University Researchers
Brent Williams, the Raymond R. Tucker
Distinguished InCEES Career Development
Associate Professor is guiding one of two groups
researching how well face masks can filter out
particles, such as viruses and small droplets.
Research teams are investigating low-tech
solutions for the public; different materials
for masks that compare to the highly efficient
N95 masks; and the stability and performance of
those N95 masks with extended use. They are
collaborating with the School of Medicine and
the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts on
mask design and fit.
“We are looking at what fraction of particles
are removed by these materials/masks at
different particle sizes and different air flow
rates,” he said. “Large and small particles are
collected on the masks by different physical
mechanisms, so the collection performance can be
different for different size particles.”
Lifetime of Airborne Viruses Being Determined
Airborne Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Viruses:
Detailed models accounting for aerosol dynamics
are developed and used to get an accurate
estimation of the lifetime of airborne viruses.
Sukrant Dhawan, a doctoral student, at
Washington University and Biswas are working on
this important problem.
AAQRL is also home to a test facility
determining size dependent removal of filters.
It is important to understand the efficiency of
alternative materials for masks that can be used
by the public, so researchers are testing a
variety of commercial and homemade face masks.
The work is led by Ben
Kumfer,
research assistant professor, with PhD students
David Dhanrajv and Shruti Choudhary. Biswas is
guiding the research.
Covalon Technologies Anti-Microbial can be
Applied to Skin
Covalon Technologies Ltd.,
says it has a new breakthrough
antimicrobial technology formulated to kill the
COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) and other viruses,
bacteria, and pathogens.
The new technology, called CovaGuard, has been
specifically formulated to be effective at
killing pathogens like the COVID-19 virus on
contact with the added benefit of providing
persistent protection by trapping and
deactivating microbes over an extended period of
time. Based on testing to date, the CovaGuard
technology has demonstrated sustained activity
of up to four days. The CovaGuard technology is
designed to be safely applied on skin as well as
protective medical equipment like masks and
gloves, whether used for the first time or
reused.
The company has filed for a patent on the
CovaGuard technology.
Like most sanitizers, CovaGuard adheres to the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control guidelines by
utilizing a high concentration of alcohol as its
base to provide immediate contact-killing
effectiveness within seconds. However, the
alcohol quickly evaporates and stops killing
microbes. To overcome this, the breakthrough
CovaGuard technology is formulated with other
ingredients that are intended to continue to
remain active and provide sustained protection
for days after the alcohol has evaporated.
CovaGuard forms an invisible protective film
barrier on skin and a wide variety of surfaces,
including non-porous materials and fabrics such
as medical masks and protective clothing.
CovaGuard creates a lasting protective effect
using a mixture of compounds that contain active
antiviral and antimicrobial agents that work
together to trap, deactivate, and kill viruses
like the COVID-19 virus, bacteria, and other
pathogens.
Brian Pedlar, Covalon’s CEO, said, “With the
exponential spread of the novel coronavirus, we
immediately created a COVID-19 task force in our
highly-regarded lab. Our mission was to create a
new technology that could help to reduce the
spread of the COVID-19 virus and protect
healthcare workers, first responders, patients,
and the general public. I am so incredibly proud
of the breakthrough they have devised at great
personal sacrifice, especially under the trying
times we are all facing.”
Covalon has identified several initial products
that will comply with current regulatory
requirements that can be legally marketed in
Canada and the United States immediately.
The CovaGuard technology can also enable the
rapid formulation of numerous other products
that can be developed for:
-
Medical companies and
manufacturers
-
Hospitals and healthcare
providers
-
Healthcare workers and first
responders
-
Consumers
-
Consumer packaged goods
companies
-
Pharmacy chains
Versions of the CovaGuard technology can be used
to manufacture hand sanitizers,
healthcare-personnel hand washes, surgical
scrubs, first-aid antiseptics, and medical mask
sanitizing sprays that comply with current
regulations so they can be introduced to help
during the COVID-19 crisis. The CovaGuard
technology can also be incorporated into the
manufacture of surgical masks and other
protective equipment. Other formulations and
applications are being investigated by Covalon
and in conjunction with other medical and
consumer product manufacturers who wish to
license CovaGuard for use with their offerings.
Dr. Val DiTizio, Covalon’s chief scientific
officer, said, “We have leveraged Covalon’s vast
experience with infection control, skin
integrity, and wound healing, along with our
decades of experience killing pathogens, to
create a novel technology that we believe is
significantly more effective than current
solutions on the market today.”
While investigating such partnerships with large
medical companies and other manufacturers,
Covalon will in the interim begin manufacturing
a CovaGuard Hand Sanitizer and a CovaGuard
Medical Mask Sanitizer Spray designed to be used
on a surgical or N95 mask either prior or after
first use, if the mask is intended to be reused.
The company intends to make these products
available through various distribution channels
and medical partners. Covalon currently works
with many other medical companies by leveraging
its patented antimicrobial delivery systems and
developing antimicrobial products for
distribution into the market in the areas of
vascular access and surgical and wound care.
Dr. DiTizio further elaborated, “CovaGuard’s
unique antimicrobial formulation has three
mechanisms that provide antimicrobial
protection. It ensures the rapid killing of
bacteria, fungi, and viruses on contact; it
maintains persistent antimicrobial protection
due to its non-volatile active agents and
proprietary delivery system; and it traps
pathogens that contact its persistent barrier to
increase kill rates and reduce the spread of
pathogens. The protective barrier that CovaGuard
creates on the skin mimics the natural lipid
barriers that are found on skin. The difference
is that the CovaGuard barrier also contains
antimicrobials that actively kill pathogens,
including enveloped viruses like the COVID-19
virus, SARS-CoV-2. The water-repellent nature of
the CovaGuard barrier helps prolong its
effectiveness, as it won’t be easily removed by
exposure to moisture. The CovaGuard active
agents have been shown to be very effective
against a wide range of microbes, such as
Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, fungi,
and viruses, especially enveloped viruses like
SARS-CoV-2.”
CovaGuard contains a proprietary combination of
compounds that includes ethanol, benzalkonium
chloride, and other compounds that work together
to create a unique persistent barrier film with
antiviral and antimicrobial properties. The
active ingredients in CovaGuard have a long
history of being highly effective against
enveloped viruses, including coronaviruses such
as SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, as well as similar
influenza viruses including the H1N1 and H5N1
strains. The components of the formulation also
have been shown to have potent antimicrobial and
antifungal activity against numerous other
microbes. Covalon’s in-house testing using
surrogate pathogens that mimic the responses of
coronaviruses has shown CovaGuard to be highly
effective, with sustained activity of up to four
days.
The company intends to continue testing the
efficacy of the CovaGuard technology and the
resulting products that are intended to be
released that are based on the CovaGuard
technology.
Bentley Systems Software to Help Facilities
Managers with Social Distancing
Bentley Systems, Incorporated, has opened up
its LEGION Simulator and OpenBuildings
Station Designer software, including waiving
new subscription fees through September 30,
2020, for facilities managers to incorporate
pedestrian simulation methodologies across their
planning, design, and operations teams.
With social distancing and crowd management at
the forefront of global concerns, OpenBuildings
Station Designer and LEGION Simulator software
can help station owners, planning and design
firms, and facilities operators to develop
models, simulate crowd movement, analyze foot
traffic, and optimize space utilization of
infrastructure assets such as rail and metro
stations, airports, retail and commercial
complexes, hospitals, and stadiums.
OpenBuildings Station Designer’s BIM environment
provides 3D context for LEGION’s included
pedestrian simulation to create an operational
digital twin to improve safety, efficiency, and
security, while mitigating risk.
LEGION Simulator helps users solve new planning
and operations challenges in:
·
validating social distancing plans while helping
to ensure safe operations;
·
ensuring space maximization, activities
distribution and controlled egress/ingress;
·
modeling safe and comfortable wayfinding
strategies and evacuation plans; and
·
providing virtual, collaborative planning,
design and operations reviews.
Further, LEGION Simulator and OpenBuildings
Station Designer offer the continued long-term
benefits of a BIM collaboration environment that
avoids data silos, coordination delays, and
other limitations that result from the
separation of planning and design workflows.
“We are going through extraordinary times and
change will be a constant reality in the months
and years ahead. Bentley’s OpenBuildings Station
Designer and LEGION Simulator enable planners,
architects, engineers, and operators to apply
digital twin approaches to solve today’s design
and operation challenges more quickly,
efficiently, and safely across rail and metro
stations, airports, and other public buildings
and amenities,” said Ken Adamson, Vice
President, Design Integration for Bentley.
Atkins is going to be applying the simulations
“Atkins has collaborated successfully with
LEGION for over 20 years, and we look forward to
building upon our own thought leadership on
COVID-19 and for the Transport Sector by
applying LEGION’s simulations for social
distancing in response to requests by our metro
clients in Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, and
Saudi Arabia,” said Cameron MacDonald, Technical
Director, Operations Advisory, Atkins, a member
of the SNC-Lavalin Group.
Connnect 2 Cleanrooms has COVID
Advice for Laboratories and R&D
Facilities
To support companies in creating COVID-secure
workplaces, integrated cleanroom service
provider, Connect 2 Cleanrooms (C2C) has
thoroughly reviewed the UK Government guidance
for laboratories and research settings.
Reintegrating operators to the workplace during
the COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity
for all cleanroom users to reinforce standard
‘best practice’ whilst introducing additional
safety measures.
To re-establish the workplace, the guidance
recommends “restarting and testing equipment
which may have been unused for a longer than
usual period of time.” Cleanroom facility owners
will need to consider how to qualify that
equipment is operating in accordance with the
regulatory guidelines it was built to comply
with.
Practical steps include
·
Full re-validation to re-commission facilities
·
Using monitoring equipment to conduct a series
of tests, i.e. airborne particle counts
Using a risk-based approach, it is recommended
that organizations should review who needs to be
in the cleanroom and how they flow through the
facility. A one-way path is encouraged as it
prevents face-to-face passing and it makes
achieve social distancing achievable, even in
narrow spaces such as corridors or change areas.
The guidance recognizes that R&D settings may
need to share equipment, but it asks that it is
shared by the “smallest number of people” who
should keep 2 m apart.
Other recommendations are
·
Create a barrier between workstations
with lab
and cleanroom work protection screens
·
Increase cleanroom footprint with a modular
cleanroom or extension
·
Increase workstations with laminar flow units or
with additional benches and chairs
·
Arrange people “to work side by side or facing
away from each other rather than face to face”
·
Stagger shifts and review entry procedures and
storage space in change areas
·
Implement one-way system
·
Increase hand sanitizing stations
