Vaccinated Hawaiian Developed a Mild Case with Delta Variant

India Underestimated the New Variant

U.S. COVID Death Toll Exceeds 600,000

Nanofiber Mask Media Shows 99.9% Efficiency on Virus

Aegle Launches N95 Mask Production with Authentication and Traceability

Washington DC Spends $24 Million Upgrading School Ventilation Systems

Daikin Introduces New Air Purifier

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Vaccinated Hawaiian Developed a Mild Case with Delta Variant

The state Department of Health’s State Laboratories Division (SLD) confirmed on Monday, June 14, that the COVID-19 variant B.1.617.2, also known as the Delta variant, has been detected in an Oahu resident who recently traveled to Nevada in early May.

The Delta variant was also reported in Nevada in early May.

The person was fully vaccinated prior to travel and had a negative COVID-19 test prior to departing Nevada.

DOH said the person developed mild symptoms consistent with COVID-19 several days after returning to Hawaii and tested positive for coronavirus.

The individual was isolated and close contacts were quarantined. There is no evidence of household transmission or secondary cases. 

“Fortunately, this person did isolate and household contacts quarantined,” explained Dr. Sarah Kemble, acting state epidemiologist. “It doesn’t appear that any further transmission has resulted from this case.”

She said most of the household members were vaccinated which helped prevent the virus from spreading.

“We have an example here of why even though vaccine is not 100% of the time,” Dr. Kemble added. “It’s still incredibly important and effective at slowing the spread of even these novel variants.”

The Delta variant was first detected in India, where the virus sparked a public health crisis in April and May. The variant now makes up approximately 6% of all U.S. cases.

“It’s a variant of concern, because in the United Kingdom, when the virus was there, originally in small numbers, it expanded and has become now the dominant strain in England,” explained State Laboratories Division Administrator Edward Desmond. “So this is one of the reasons why it’s a variant of concern that tends to become dominant, which suggests that it may be more transmissible.”

“Early evidence suggests the Delta variant might spread more quickly than other SARS-CoV-2 strains,” said Dr. Desmond. “There are reports the Delta variant produces a higher rate of severe illness than original COVID-19, but we do not yet have enough evidence to support that conclusion.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention categorizes the Delta variant as a variant of concern.

“The vaccines not only help protect against infection, but they also protect against severe illness,” said State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char. “While this is one of those very rare breakthrough cases in which the vaccine did not prevent infection, the infected person did not suffer severe illness.”

The state will allow vaccinated residents to return to Hawaii and travel inter-island freely without restrictions starting Tuesday, June 15.

Dr. Kemble said she believes that’s a safe move, but is wary about mainland travel.

“Travel to and from the mainland is a little more of a concern because there are some pockets in the United States where vaccine rates are much lower,” she added. “We do see continued importation of variants from some of those states.”

India Underestimated the New Variant

A veteran public health expert warned top Indian officials in early March that a new variant of the coronavirus was spreading quickly in a rural district in the heart of the country and that the outbreak required urgent attention.

Federal health authorities failed to respond adequately to that warning, Dr Subhash Salunke, who has 30 years of experience in public health in India, Indonesia and the United States, told Reuters.

The variant, now known as B.1.617, triggered a catastrophic wave of coronavirus cases in India and has since spread to more than 40 other countries. In May, the World Health Organization (WHO) termed it a "variant of concern," citing its high transmissibility.

The variant's first impact was detected months earlier in the Amravati district of the western state of Maharashtra, where health authorities recorded a rapid increase in coronavirus infections in early February, even as cases fell elsewhere in India.

Salunke, a former WHO official advising the Maharashtra government, said he alerted some of India's most senior health officials in early March, speaking on the telephone to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's main coronavirus adviser, V.K. Paul, and the head of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Sujeet Kumar Singh.

Salunke told Reuters he warned both Paul and Singh that the virus was showing signs of mutating in Amravati, that its transmissibility was increasing, and requested federal help in sequencing more samples to establish how the variant was behaving. Reuters could not independently confirm what was said in those conversations.

"In spite of a public health person like me giving them a sound warning, they did not take heed," Salunke told Reuters.

In response to Reuters’ questions, Paul said he spoke with Salunke, but described the conversation as Salunke conveying information rather than issuing a warning.

He rejected Salunke’s accusation that he did not take heed, saying he requested that India’s National Institute of Virology (NIV) study the variant more closely, and told the Maharashtra state government to intensify its existing response to the virus.

Reuters could not determine if the NIV carried out any such study. The NIV directed Reuters’ questions to the Indian Council of Medical Research, which did not respond.

“The government strengthened the sequencing and clinico-epidemiological studies,” Paul told Reuters. “The government intensely, repeatedly, from multiple fora, emphasized the need for containment using all the tools even more vigorously, and optimizing testing.”

NCDC’s Singh and India’s health ministry did not respond to questions from Reuters about Salunke's warning.

Despite Salunke’s flagging of the problem, and a further warning in early March from a forum of scientific advisers that the new variant was taking hold in the country, the federal government allowed election rallies, religious festivals and other mass gatherings to proceed, and failed to take measures to halt the spread of the virus.

Within 80 days, the variant went from Amravati to dozens of countries around the world, including Britain, the United States and Singapore, presenting a setback to global efforts to contain the disease.

It is impossible to say exactly how many infections in each country have been caused by the new variant, because very few samples from positive tests have been sequenced. U.S. authorities estimated last week that the variant accounted for 6% of coronavirus infections there.

In India, the dramatic rise in infection numbers from April onwards - partly driven by the variant, according to public health studies - overwhelmed the country's health system, causing hospitals to run out of beds and oxygen and causing crematoriums and graveyards to overflow. India’s health minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan, said last month that the variant was identified in about 20% of samples in the country that had been sequenced.

In late January, when India's daily count of coronavirus infections had fallen to around 12,000, Modi all but declared victory at a World Economic Forum event, saying the country had "saved humanity from a big disaster by containing coronavirus effectively."

That sense of optimism was sweeping large parts of India, including Amravati, where cases had dropped to a trickle, according to local health officials. The district, home to 2.9 million people, had reported only dozens of COVID-19 cases daily through much of January, according to government data.

"Everyone was relaxed," said Shyamsunder Nikam, Amravati's civil surgeon, who supervises public health matters in the district.

But case numbers started suddenly rising in late January, alarming Nikam and other local officials. New infections rose to around 200 a day by Feb. 7 and reached 430 a day a week later, as the virus tore through the district's rural interior that had been largely unscathed during India's first wave in 2020.

A task force set up by the Maharashtra government to guide its pandemic response ordered a probe. Dr Rajesh Karyakarte, who was part of the investigation, said he analysed four positive samples from the region and found they all contained a mutation called E484Q, a sign that a variant was likely at play.

Karyakarte told Reuters he presented the findings to the Maharashtra task force in a video conference on Feb. 16. Reuters could not independently confirm if he did so or how the task force responded. Dr Tatyarao Lahane, a member of the task force, did not respond to questions from Reuters.

The discovery of the new mutation and spiking case numbers in Amravati alarmed Salunke. He said he travelled to Amravati in late February and conducted coronavirus tests on nearly 700 people. Around half of them turned out positive for COVID-19.

Within a few days, he told Reuters, state health authorities sent samples from Amravati to the NCDC for further genetic sequencing to establish if a variant was present. The NCDC did not respond to questions from Reuters about what it did with those samples.

Meanwhile, federal health officials played down the potential role of new variants in the spike of infections.

"There is no direct relation between the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra and some other states with the mutant virus strains N440K and E484Q of COVID-19," India's health ministry said in a media statement on Feb. 23.

Modi’s coronavirus adviser Paul said that assessment was based on the data authorities had at that time.

“We knew that something had been spotted but we didn’t know the significance thereof at that point,” Paul told Reuters. “True significance of variants emerges with time. Scientific data has now led us to understand the role of these variants.”

In late February, federal and local officials had a meeting to discuss the spike in Amravati, according to a senior government scientist who attended it.

At the meeting, Maharashtra's State Surveillance Officer Dr Pradip Awate said the rise in cases was due to voters flocking to local elections held in January rather than any kind of new variant, the scientist who attended the meeting told Reuters.

Federal officials, including from the Indian Council of Medical Research, appeared convinced by that explanation and did not press for further investigation, the scientist said.

"At that time there was certain confusion," Awate told Reuters, which made it hard to assess exactly why cases were rising.

The emergence of the new variant was not treated with the urgency it deserved, said Salunke.

"What happened in Maharashtra is a natural phenomenon. And it should have been addressed on a war footing, as an absolute emergency," he said. "It was ignored and the entire focus was on the elections," he said, referring to a series of state elections that were held through March and April, drawing crowds of thousands to rallies by Modi's party as well as opposition politicians.

Missing the rise of the variant in Amravati in late February was a "major mistake", said the scientist who attended the Maharashtra meeting.

State health official Awate said Maharashtra could have imposed stricter lockdowns and restricted inter-district travel much sooner. Instead, lockdowns were imposed in Maharashtra and other major cities such as New Delhi only in mid-to-late April.

Between March and April, the federal government allowed the Kumbh Mela Hindu festival to proceed in northern India, drawing millions of people from around the country for a holy dip in the Ganges, many of whom travelled back home carrying the virus, according to public health officials.

Even as it spread across India, the variant was carried to other countries where it also sparked a rash of cases.

In Britain, a related variant - called B.1.617.2 or Delta by the WHO - was found in areas where many people travel back and forth to India, according to experts.

U.S. COVID Death Toll Exceeds 600,000

More than 15 months since the first confirmed death due to COVID-19 in the U.S., Johns Hopkins University reports Tuesday that the coronavirus pandemic has claimed more than 600,000 lives across the country – a trend that has slowed from thousands to just hundreds per day in recent weeks thanks largely to the ready availability of vaccines.

Over the winter, the nation was adding about 100,000 deaths each month. But as more and more people were vaccinated — particularly older Americans — the death rate fell precipitously. There are now about 375 deaths per day on average - down from more than 3,000 per day in January.

Worldwide, the U.S. still is reporting the greatest total deaths, followed by Brazil, India and Mexico. The total global death toll stands at 3.8 million.

The death toll, according to Johns Hopkins, stood at 600,012 on Tuesday afternoon.

Even so, the cumulative number of deaths in the U.S. clearly shows the recent positive impact of vaccines: barely a month passed between 400,000 and a half-million deaths, but it has taken nearly four times as long to reach the 600,000 mark. At the same time, the trend in the number of new infections, which has closely mirrored deaths, reached a peak in January of more than 300,000 in a single day. Now the U.S. is hovering around an average of fewer than 15,000 confirmed infections, according to Johns Hopkins.

The positive trends have led many states to lift their coronavirus restrictions — with many dropping mask mandates altogether for vaccinated individuals and eliminating other social distancing requirements.

At the same time, however, many Americans have shown a reluctance to get vaccinated, with just over half of U.S. adults fully immunized. In parts of the Midwest and South, in particular, vaccine rates per 100,000 people still remain relatively low compared to the Northeast and parts of the West Coast, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The divide has been particularly marked between rural and urban areas of the country.

Tuesday's figures come after a study this week showing that a new vaccine, one made by Novavax, is 100% effective against the original strain of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, and 93% effective against other variants.

The next step is for the company to seek regulatory approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which has issued emergency authorizations for three other vaccines – ones made by Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

Nanofiber Mask Media Shows 99.9% Efficiency on Virus

A filter made from polymer nano threads blew three kinds of commercial masks out of the water by capturing 99.9% of coronavirus aerosols in an experiment.

“Our work is the first study to use coronavirus aerosols for evaluating filtration efficiency of face masks and air filters,” said corresponding author Yun Shen, a UC Riverside assistant professor of chemical and environmental engineering. “Previous studies have used surrogates of saline solution, polystyrene beads, and bacteriophages — a group of viruses that infect bacteria.”

The study, led by engineers at UC Riverside and The George Washington University, compared the effectiveness of surgical and cotton masks, a neck gaiter, and electrospun nanofiber membranes at removing coronavirus aerosols to prevent airborne transmission. The cotton mask and neck gaiter only removed about 45%-73% of the aerosols. The surgical mask did much better, removing 98% of coronavirus aerosols. But the nanofiber filter removed almost all of the coronavirus aerosols. 

Left: A nanofiber filter that captures 99.9% of coronavirus aerosols.

Right: A highly magnified image of the polymer nanofibers. (Photo: Yun Shen)

Studying a contagious new virus is dangerous and done in labs with the highest biosecurity ratings, which are relatively rare. To date, all studies during the pandemic on mask or filter efficiency have used other materials thought to mimic the size and behavior of coronavirus aerosols. The new study improved on this by testing both aerosolized saline solution and an aerosol that contained a coronavirus in the same family as the virus that causes COVID-19, but only infects mice. 

Shen and George Washington University colleague Danmeng Shuai produced a nanofiber filter by sending a high electrical voltage through a drop of liquid polyvinylidene fluoride to spin threads about 300 nanometers in diameter — about 167 times thinner than a human hair. The process created pores only a couple of micrometers in diameter on the nanofiber’s surfaces, which helped them capture 99.9% of coronavirus aerosols. 

The production technique, known as electrospinning, is cost effective and could be used to mass produce nanofiber filters for personal protective equipment and air filtration systems.

Electrospinning also leaves the nanofibers with an electrostatic charge that enhances their ability to capture aerosols, and their high porosity makes it easier to breathe wearing electrospun nanofiber filters.

“Electrospinning can advance the design and fabrication of face masks and air filters,” said Shen. “Developing new masks and air filters by electrospinning is promising because of its high performance in filtration, economic feasibility, and scalability, and it can meet on-site needs of the masks and air filters.”

Aegle Launches N95 Mask Production with Authentication and Traceability

Aegle, a high-quality American-made PPE manufacturer and health-tech company, has launched the first N95 and NIOSH certified mask that uses authentication and traceability technology. Every box case and lot has an embedded NFC chip to prevent counterfeiting and ensure that every mask sold is trusted, transparent and authentic.

Aegle’s team comprises technologists, industrial designers, and healthcare experts – including multiple PhDs and experience in national security and technology. Aegle masks are manufactured domestically in the Houston, TX, metro area and the company has plans to launch and license further PPE applications of its patent-pending authentication and traceability technology.

Masks are available for corporations, businesses, healthcare institutions, essential workplaces and individuals to purchase on Aegle’s website and Amazon beginning today.

“Despite plummeting Covid-19 cases in the US, the world has forever changed as a result of Covid-19 with governments, healthcare organizations, businesses and consumers now well aware of the need to maintain domestic supply of authentic high-quality masks and PPE,” said Thomas Lopez, chief technology officer at Aegle. “We are actively responding to these needs through our health-tech solutions and our laser-focus on innovating and defining the future of high-tech, high-quality protective medical equipment. Our industry-first authentication and traceability technology is the first milestone in our larger mission to make medical protective equipment design safer, transparent and trustworthy.”

Aegle’s N95 mask is designed with careful attention to physical improvements and equipment design for safety and comfort. The masks are made from ultra-lightweight materials that deliver exceptional fit and breathability. Each Aegle N95 mask is designed to effectively secure mask placement, minimize mask movement, and deliver maximum visibility, helping to reduce inhalation exposure to airborne biological particles like Covid-19, Bacillus Anthracis, and Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.

Aegle’s anti-microbial N95 respirator is developed through the company’s exclusive partnership with Ascend Materials. Ascend’s Acteev fabric is embedded with active zinc ions that independent experts have shown contain anti-viral and anti-microbial efficacy.

Since its founding in May 2020, Aegle has built strong relationships with industry partners including non-profits Project N95 and Get Us PPE to serve the overarching mission of building resilience into the U.S. supply chains and strategic reserves of PPE. Specific initiatives include:

• ProjectN95 and the Patriot Military Family Foundation: Aegle donated tens of thousands of masks to the National Guard for the Presidential inauguration in January.
• United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW): Aegle has committed that 100% of its employees will be unionized.
• Aegle donated over 14,000 masks for Covid-19 relief in India last month, to combat one of the worst outbreaks globally

Aegle is backed by a team of Silicon Valley technology entrepreneurs and investors. Co-founder Andrew Moy says, “Aegle is more than a financial investment. Our team is protecting the security and safety of all Americans by supporting the reshoring of critical manufacturing to the United States. Investing in a domestic tech-based and impact-oriented PPE manufacturer helps America break supply chain bottlenecks that continue to plague the global economy as we recover from the pandemic and ensure that we remain prepared for future health crisis.”

The authentication and traceability technology enhances supply chain intelligence to help ensure effective end-user distribution and that PPE is effective and not counterfeit.

Available information will include internal and third-party test data for all materials used in the production of the product, date of manufacturing, expiration date, lot number, and will verify that each box is an official Aegle product. Having a security layer that authenticates that the product was manufactured by Aegle aims to provide transparency to the entire supply chain – distributors, retailers, and end consumers.

Aegle’s first manufacturing and distribution center is located in the new VEnergy 100-acre industrial park near Brookshire in the Houston, TX, metro area, currently designated as an economic development HUBZone and Opportunity Zone. The center features 90,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space and neighbors other major national distribution facilities. Following the launch of its N95 mask, Aegle has plans to expand production and construct new industrial warehouse space by the end of this year. Aegle has capacity to produce over 20 million masks and expects to provide over 100 jobs in the greater Houston Area by Q4 2021.

Washington DC Spends $24 Million Upgrading School Ventilation Systems.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser expects all 50,000 DC Public School students to return to school buildings in the fall.

Patrick Davis, DPCS Chief Operating Officer, invited WUSA9 on a tour of Dunbar High School to talk about the safety upgrades made to prepare for full capacity classrooms.

“It’s been a fluid year,” said Davis who is in charge of the system’s 110 building, “It certainly hasn’t been easy, but the end mission and target is to create a safe environment for kids.” 

Davis and his team have been working to upgrade schools since day one of the pandemic. The first COVID upgrade to be installed were HVAC systems that circulate outside air into the building, even those, he said that are older and have not been modernized. 

“Every single school got a specific report and plan,” explained Davis, “so for the schools that don’t have an upgraded HVAC system we installed portable HEPA filters.”

Just like sanitizer and socially distant desks, the hum of HEPA filters is a staple in classrooms. Schools are operating with updated safety guidelines of 3 feet distance between desks.

Davis said most classes will still be able to safely accommodate a full roster of students. 

“Schools have done an amazing job with their custodial staff and they’ve done really good work and honestly we wouldn’t be here without them,” said Davis.

Ultraviolent technology can also be found in every DCPS bathroom in newly installed overhead lights.

“It brings air through and it goes through the UVC light kit,” explained Davis as he pointed to the light in the bathroom ceiling. “basically, the light touches the virus or any bacteria and its likely to kill any bacteria or virus there.”

There’s even a HEPA filter inside the light, for good measure. 

The upgrades cost $24 million, but with a huge injection of federal funds, Davis said it should have no impact on school budgets and resources. 

 

Daikin Introduces New Air Purifier

Daikin Applied today introduced the Daikin Air Purifier, a line of portable room air purifiers designed to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) while helping reduce the risk of airborne infections and pollutants. The air purifiers help remove a host of contaminants — dust, pollen, mold, bacteria and germs — and are built to supplement ventilation and filtration in classrooms, healthcare clinics, restaurants, churches, office buildings and similar facilities.

The air purifiers come in two models, each with different levels of air-purification technology. The Premium Air Purifier features HEPA filtration that captures up to 99.97 percent of pollutants and pathogens that are 0.3 microns or larger. The Economy model comes with a MERV 13 filter, in line with ASHRAE's guidance for in-room air cleaners. All units also include two-stage filtration to bolster the purifier's ability to capture harmful particles without restricting airflow or efficiency.

Both Premium and Economy models are available in two nominal capacity ranges: 500 cubic feet of airflow per minute (CFM) and 1,000 CFM. This means the air purifiers can deliver enough filtered air to meet ASHRAE recommendations based on square footage and occupancy levels.

In addition, the units are delivered fully assembled, plug into standard wall outlets and are easy to move from room to room. They can be set up in minutes and used by virtually anyone.

"IAQ was important before the pandemic, but now it's a universal concern and need," said Jim Macosko, general manager, Daikin Applied.  "However, many organizations don't have the resources or personnel to overhaul their HVAC systems. The new in-room air purifiers provide an easy and cost-effective way to remove contaminants and provide quality air — in a compact and portable unit, with simple set up, and the backing of proven filtration technology."

The two models of the Daikin Air Purifier are:  

• Premium – Features a 4-inch MERV 13 pre-filter and HEPA post-filter.
• Economy – Features a 2-inch MERV 8 pre-filter and a 4-inch MERV 13 post-filter.

All air purifiers come with variable-speed fans that adjust circulation to meet the specific needs of each space. And the rugged, furniture-grade cabinet construction provides convenient service access and ensures quiet operation.

The new offerings add to Daikin Applied's efforts to enhance IAQ and the overall health of buildings. The business offers a suite of services and technologies designed to deliver quality air, control the transmission of airborne pathogens, and make sure facilities meet ASHRAE recommendations related to COVID-19 and building readiness. The business also recently joined the International WELL Building Institute as a Cornerstone member.