Coronavirus Technology Solutions
January 15, 2021

Biden Mask Mandate Debate Next Thursday - Join the Discussion

Biden Mask Mandate can Save Lives but Mask Efficiency is the Dominant Factor

Biden Unveils Coronavirus Plan Including $30 billion for PPE and $130 billion for Schools

Double Masking Better Than One Loose Fitting Mask

Public Version of Powered Respirator Now Available

Razer Develops a Cyberpunk Aesthetic with Smart Mask Concept

Space Mask has Nice Features but What About Efficiency?

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Biden Mask Mandate Debate Next Thursday - Join the Discussion

On January 21 at 10:AM CST we will be holding a discussion/debate open to everyone. The specific subject will be the Biden Mandate to wear masks in public. The proposition will be

Should tight fitting efficient masks be the primary route to quickly end the pandemic and should efficiency be specified by the administration?

Bob McIlvaine will be one of the participants arguing the affirmative. Anyone is welcome to make negative  arguments  or to further advance the affirmative. Where there is supporting information in Coronavirus Mask Decisions it can be displayed as part of the argument.  Information which would be relevant can be submitted for the Alerts preceding the discussion.

The major relevant issues to be individually debated are:

·         How efficient will tight fitting efficient masks be in capturing and preventing the spread of the virus?

o   Affirmative: Viruses are primarily airborne. When both emitter and recipient wear them 99% of the viruses are eliminated making masks the best weapon in the arsenal.

o   Negative: Some virus is transmitted on surfaces and masks are not effective in protecting the wearer.

·         Can sufficient numbers of tight fitting efficient masks be made available to have the short term impact?

o   Affirmative: A combination of commercially available reusable masks can be combined with medical masks using  braces to supply everyone within 90 days

o   Negative: There is a shortage of meltblowns and insufficient media would be available for public masks.

·         Is the tight-fitting mask needed when vaccines will soon provide herd immunity?

o   Affirmative: Masks can save hundreds of thousands of  lives in the U.S. in 2021 and millions in poorer countries through 2024.

o   Negative: Focus should be on vaccines and people in poorer countries won’t wear masks.

·         Are masks the most cost effective option?

o   Affirmative: Masks capture virus at the source and are far more cost effective than social distancing or any other option.

o   Negative: Controlled occupancy, sanitation, HVAC, social distancing and similar measures are better choices.

Subsidiary and clarifying subjects are

·         What is the definition of tight fitting and efficient?

Media penetration, air leakage and resistance are all relevant. Fitted Filter Efficiency (FFE) includes both penetration and leakage. To have a single number to rate masks it could be FFE-minus resistance in mm of H2O.

·         What efficiency level should be required?

McIlvaine believes an FFE 0f 90 is achievable and when worn by both emitter and recipient is 99% effective. ASTM has two efficiency levels (20% and 50%) and no specific leakage limit. ASTM points to evidence that most virus is not at 0.3 microns and that if media removes 20% of the 0.3 micron particles it will be much more efficient on viruses in larger droplets.

One calculation shows that if both emitter and recipient are wearing FFE 90 masks, 99% of the virus is captured. ASTM 50 masks on both could result in 85% capture and ASTM 20 masks with 50% capture.

·         How do you measure air leakage?

Do you utilize quantitative, approved qualitative, or approximate qualitative methods.  Since 50% of the air can circumvent the media, this is a major issue.

·         Who measures air leakage?

This can be subdivided into measuring a generic mask fit for an individual as opposed to a test in use. A quantitative test can show leakage based on an individual wearing a particular size of a particular mask. However, when he puts on one of these masks there is no assurance that he is wearing it properly.

Should analysis center around a two tier system which is generic and specific?

·         Will there be enough masks available?

Ideally everyone should be wearing a Comfortable, Attractive, Tight Fitting, Reusable (CATER) masks.  Alternatively N95 masks will provide the FFE 90 effectiveness. But to meet near term needs the medical mask with a brace is an effective alternative. Are there enough medical masks available and are there enough braces available?

·         Can disposable masks be cleaned and reused?

Mask availability is definitely a function of reuse. It could be argued that a nurse in a COVID isolation unit captures as much virus in an hour as an office worker would in 100 days in a high load environment or in 1000 days in a low load environment. So public reuse is unique and raises the following questions.

o   How long can the mask be used before cleaning?

o   What cleaning procedure should be utilized?

o   What will be the impact on effectiveness  as a result of cleaning?

To register for the webinar on January 21 at 10:am CST https://home.mcilvainecompany.com/index.php?option=com_rsform&view=rsform&formId=91

Biden Mask Mandate can Save Lives but Mask Efficiency is the Dominant Factor

Biden’s claim to save 100,000 lives with a mask mandate is based on a study by IHME COVID-19 Forecasting Team

It finds that achieving universal mask use (95% mask use in public) could be sufficient to ameliorate the worst effects of epidemic resurgences in many states. Universal mask use could save an additional 129,574 (85,284–170,867) lives from September 22, 2020 through the end of February 2021, or an additional 95,814 (60,731–133,077) lives assuming a lesser adoption of mask wearing (85%), when compared to the reference scenario.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-1132-9

The model uses a direct ratio from mask use to lives saved. It is irrefutable that mask effectiveness is also a direct function in lives saved. Some masks are completely ineffective and others very effective. A mask mandate without qualification is comparable to saying all football players should wear head covering. Here are comparative efficiencies.

Masks are very effective because both emitter and recipient capture virus. If the emitter captures 90% and the recipient removes 90% of the 10% reaching him, the net potential inhaled virus is reduced by 99%. The ASTM 50 if provided with air leakage of less than 10% might be able to achieve 85% reduction. The ASTM 20 could provide 50% reduction and the cloth mask 20%.

But now let’s consider performance based on the risk factor or the virus remaining.

On a relative basis there will be 80 times as much virus in the air if everyone is in cloth masks vs FFE 90 masks. You can argue that with ASTM masks 85% of the risk is eliminated. Or you can argue that these masks leave 15 times as much virus in the air as FFE 90 masks.

Biden Unveils Coronavirus Plan Including $30 billion for PPE and $130 billion for Schools

President-elect Joe Biden is unveiled a $1.9 trillion coronavirus plan Thursday to turn the tide on the pandemic, speeding up the vaccine rollout and providing financial help to individuals, states and local governments and businesses struggling with the prolonged economic fallout.

Called the “American Rescue Plan,” the legislative proposal would meet Biden’s goal of administering 100 million vaccines by the 100th day of his administration, while advancing his objective of reopening most schools by the spring. On a parallel track, it would deliver another round of aid to stabilize the economy while the public health effort seeks the upper hand on the pandemic,

Biden has said he'd work with local governors and mayors to mandate masks in public. An October modeling study showed that if 95% of Americans wore masks, more than 100,000 lives could be saved from Covid-19.

The Biden team also says it will take on problems with personal protective equipment for health care workers.

Several studies have shown that there has been a severe shortage of personal protective equipment since early 2020, and some shortages have gotten worse, according to a September analysis by the American Hospital Association.

Often, medical and nursing home staff has had to reuse gloves, masks, and other protective equipment at their peril. The union, National Nurses United, estimates more than 1,700 health care workers have died in the pandemic. Between March and May, 6% of all patients hospitalized with Covid-19 were health care personnel, according to an October CDC report.

While the Trump administration has claimed to use the Defense Production Act to step up production of PPE, a nonpartisan analysis in September found it has rarely done so.

Biden said he would use that power to make sure the national supply stocks are fully replenished. He also promised to help create American-sourced products so the US would not be dependent on other countries.

In addition to encouraging Congress to pass an emergency package to help schools pay for pandemic supplies, the Biden administration would create a "restart package" to help small businesses pay for protective equipment and plexiglass.

The Biden plan includes $1,400 checks for most Americans, which on top of $600 provided in the most recent COVID-19 bill would bring the total to the $2,000 that Biden has called for. The plan would also extend a temporary boost in unemployment benefits and a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures through September. And it shoehorns in the long-term Democratic policy aim of increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour and expanding paid leave for workers across the economy.

In a joint statement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said they would move quickly to pass legislation and get it to Biden’s desk for his signature. “After Congress passed the most recent emergency COVID relief bill in December, Democrats were clear that much more needed to be done,” said the two leaders. “We are pleased the Biden-Harris package includes much of what congressional Democrats have been fighting for.”

The emergency legislation would be paid for with borrowed money, adding to trillions in debt the government has already incurred to confront the pandemic. Aides said Biden will make the case that the additional spending and borrowing is necessary to prevent the economy from sliding into an even deeper hole. Interest rates are low, making debt more manageable. The aides spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the plan ahead of his speech Thursday night.

Biden has long held that economic recovery is inextricably linked with controlling the coronavirus. “Our work begins with getting COVID under control,” he declared in his victory speech. “We cannot repair the economy, restore our vitality or relish life’s most precious moments until we get it under control.”

The plan comes as a divided nation is in the grip of the pandemic’s most dangerous wave yet. So far, more than 385,000 people have died of COVID-19 in the U.S. And government numbers out Thursday reported a jump in weekly unemployment claims, to 965,000, a sign that rising infections are forcing businesses to cut back and lay off workers.

Under Biden’s multipronged strategy, about $400 billion would go directly to combating the pandemic, while the rest is focused on economic relief and aid to states and localities.

About $20 billion would be allocated for a more disciplined focus on vaccination, on top of some $8 billion already approved by Congress. Biden has called for setting up mass vaccination centers and sending mobile units to hard-to-reach areas.

The plan provides $50 billion to expand testing, which is seen as key to reopening most schools by the end of the new administration’s first 100 days. About $130 billion would be allocated to help schools reopen without risking further contagion.

The plan would fund the hiring of 100,000 public health workers, to focus on encouraging people to get vaccinated and on tracing the contacts of those infected with the coronavirus.

There’s also a proposal to boost investment in genetic sequencing, to help track new virus strains including the more contagious variants identified in the United Kingdom and South Africa.

Throughout the plan, there’s a focus on ensuring that minority communities that have borne the brunt of the pandemic are not shortchanged on vaccines and treatments, aides said.

With the new proposals comes a call to redouble efforts on the basics.

Biden is asking Americans to override their sense of pandemic fatigue and recommit to wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and avoiding indoor gatherings, particularly larger ones. It’s still the surest way to slow the COVID-19 wave, with more than 4,400 deaths reported just on Tuesday.

Biden’s biggest challenge will be to “win the hearts and minds of the American people to follow his lead,” said Dr. Leana Wen, a public health expert and emergency physician.

With the backing of Congress and the expertise of private and government scientists, the Trump administration has delivered two highly effective vaccines and more are on the way. Yet a month after the first shots were given, the nation’s vaccination campaign is off to a slow start with about 10.3 million people getting the first of two shots, although more than 29 million doses have been delivered.

Double Masking Better Than One Loose Fitting Mask

As cases of the coronavirus continue to surge on a global scale, some of the nation’s most prominent people have begun to double up on masks — a move that researchers say is increasingly being backed up by data.

Double-masking isn’t necessary for everyone. But for people with thin or flimsy face coverings, “if you combine multiple layers, you start achieving pretty high efficiencies” of blocking viruses from exiting and entering the airway, said Linsey Marr, an expert in virus transmission at Virginia Tech and an author on a recent commentary laying out the science behind mask-wearing.

Of course, there’s a trade-off: At some point, “we run the risk of making it too hard to breathe,” she said. But there is plenty of breathing room before mask-wearing approaches that extreme.

As cases of the coronavirus continue to surge on a global scale, some of the nation’s most prominent people have begun to double up on masks — a move that researchers say is increasingly being backed up by data.

Dr Marr’s group recently tested ten different types of face coverings for their effectiveness at protecting others as well as the wearer.. Based on their results and others’ results, they  recommend a high-quality surgical mask or a fabric mask of at least two layers with high thread count for basic protection for the public. For maximal protection members of the public can either (1) wear a cloth mask tightly on top of a surgical mask where the surgical mask acts as a filter and the cloth mask provides an additional layer of filtration while improving the fit; or (2) wear a three-layer mask with outer layers consisting of a flexible, tightly woven fabric that can conform well to the face and a middle layer consisting of a non-woven high-efficiency filter material (e.g., vacuum bag material).

Other tweaks can enhance a mask’s fit, such as ties that secure the fabric around the back of the head, instead of relying on ear loops that allow masks to hang and gape. Nose bridges, which can help the top of a mask to fit more snugly, offer a protective boost as well.

Achieving superb fit and filtration “is really simple,” coauthor, Dr. Gandhi, said. “It doesn’t need to involve anything fancy.”

(Gandhi and Marr, Uniting Infectious Disease and Physical Science Principles on the Importance of Face Masks for COVID-19, Med (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medj.2020.12.008

Public Version of Powered Respirator Now Available

The concept of powered respirators has now been extended to a public design. With a small fan and HEPA filter the individual can be protected. The challenge is limiting virus exhalation.  These masks were designed for protection against air pollution where exhalation filtration was not a consideration.

The BROAD Airpro Mask is an ultra-light rechargeable HEPA filter that everyone can afford. It can filter PM2.5 by 99.9%, protecting people from air pollution anywhere. In addition, it can increase breathing volume, and make people feel more refreshed and energetic. The compact BROAD Airpro Mask provides a shelter from the pollen, smog, Bacterial, Virus and can be relied on for those who work or live in a polluted environment. It can also protect medical staff from infectious diseases and offers great hope for respiratory patients.

BFE (Bacterial Filtration Efficiency) 99.39%, Filter PM2.5 by 99.95%

USB rechargeable battery powered respirator with 10 hours run time, HEPA filter can be used for accumulative of 500 hours and spare part is available.

Razer Develops a Cyberpunk Aesthetic with Smart Mask Concept

Gaming brand Razer looks to the future of face masks with its CES 2021 announcement of Project Hazel, a reusable transparent mask with detachable filters, a built-in mic and amplifier, and Chroma RGB LED lights for those keen on embracing some cyberpunk techno flair.

Called Project Hazel, Razer's tech-filled face mask concept

 is a sign mask-wearing is not going away any time soon

VIEW 7 IMAGES

Alongside its more conventional CES announcements, including new laptops and a unique gaming chair, Razer revealed a novel smart mask concept. The idea arose from the company noticing the environmental issues growing around the accumulating waste from single-use face masks.

The mask is at the forefront of an inevitable new wave

of "smart" protective face masks

Project Hazel is designed to present a stylish reusable face mask with rechargeable and removable ventilators. New filters can be slipped into the ventilator cartridges and the entire device is designed to come with a wireless charging case. UV lights embedded into the charging case promise to sterilize the mask when charging, and the company suggests a single charge should be enough to get a full day of use out of the device.

A recharging case is also fitted with sterilizing UV lights

Speakers are fitted onto the two ventilators, and an internal microphone is built in to amplify the wearer’s voice. The majority of the mask is also transparent, so these design elements are all working to help the wearer easily communicate with others.

The whole thing wouldn’t be a Razer product without some superfluous LED lights and Project Hazel is no exception. Chroma RGB LEDs, capable of producing 16.8 million different colors, will allow wearers customizable lighting effects. The mask is transparent, allowing the wearer's mouth movements to be visible.

“Razer acknowledges the uncertainty in the road ahead, and so it was our duty to help protect our community members and prepare them from invisible threats,” says Razer’s CEO, Min-Liang Tan. “The Project Hazel smart mask concept is intended to be functional, yet comfortable and useful for interacting with the world, while maintaining a sociable aesthetic.”

Project Hazel certainly isn't the first tech-infused face mask to arise due to the COVID-19 pandemic. LG’s PuriCare Wearable Air Mask, unveiled last August, is already on sale in some international markets, although its bulky design already looks like ancient technology compared to Razer’s sleek concept.

No price or release data has been announced

Razer is yet to announce if or when Project Hazel will be available to consumers. Its announcement does seem to contain images of a working prototype so at the very least this concept is more advanced than a series of abstract renders but testing and certification will inevitably be necessary before it reaches the market.

Space Mask has Nice Features but What About Efficiency?

Space mask has four layers with the inner layer claiming high efficiency on three micron particles.  So this does not at first glance seem to have  a high virus removal efficiency.

Space mask is heavily advertised. Space Mask is now available in twelve different colors and four sizes.