COVID Death Toll Exceeds Four Million

Variant Deadly for Unvaccinated Americans

When Should You Wear Masks?

Museums Set the Standard for Good Air Quality

Mainetti will  Supply HK 96 Nanofiber Masks to Hong Kong Delegation to the Olympics

Mask with 300 nm Nanofibers Captures 99.9% of the Coronavirus

California Farm Workers to get N95 masks for Wildfire Season

King Country Oregon Recommending Filters and Masks for Wildfire Season

Sanders Filters Claimed to Obtain MERV 16 Efficiency with Low Resistance

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COVID Death Toll Exceeds Four Million

The global death toll from COVID-19 eclipsed four million Wednesday as the crisis increasingly becomes a race between the vaccine and highly contagious variants.

The tally of lives lost over the past year and a half, as compiled from official sources by Johns Hopkins University, is about equal to the number of people killed in battle in all of the world's wars since 1982, according to estimates from the Peace Research Institute Oslo.

The toll is three times the number of people killed in traffic accidents around the globe every year. It is about equal to the population of Los Angeles or the nation of Georgia. It is equivalent to more than half of Hong Kong or close to 50% of New York City.

Even then, it is widely believed to be an undercount because of overlooked cases or deliberate concealment.

Variant Deadly for Unvaccinated Americans

More than nine out of 10 Americans who died from Covid-19 in the US in June were unvaccinated, according to Anthony Fauci – a statistic that health officials say is especially concerning given the prevalence of vaccine hesitancy in some regions and the rise of the Delta variant.

Maryland reported this week that 100% of those who died from coronavirus there in June had not been vaccinated, while more than 93% of those with new cases or who were hospitalized were similarly unprotected.

Cases are rising in nearly half the states as low vaccination rates are being met with the more transmissible and severe Delta or B.1.617.2, variant, identified in India in December 2020.

Vaccinations administered in the US have shown to be effective against the Delta variant, though it poses serious risks to those who remain unvaccinated.

The variant is already the dominant strain of Covid-19 in the country, accounting for more than 50% of all new US cases and up to 80% of cases in some regions, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data released Tuesday.

Joe Biden has reiterated the urgency behind getting more Americans vaccinated.

 

When Should You Wear Masks?

The Delta variant, a more transmissible -- and potentially more dangerous -- strain of coronavirus, now makes up more half of all new infections in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This variant, combined with low rates of vaccination in many parts of the country, is leading to new surges in Covid-19 cases, which has led to Los Angeles County and St. Louis-area health officials encouraging even people who are fully vaccinated to wear masks indoors. The World Health Organization has issued similar guidance (the CDC has continued to say that vaccinated people do not need to wear masks under most circumstances). CNN interviewed an expert on this subject.

Dr. Leana Wen:  Masks are still required in some settings, such as airports, on planes and trains, and in hospitals. If a business requires masks, you should still wear a mask, so it's a good practice to carry a mask around with you in case you need it.

The more difficult question becomes, what about settings where you don't have to wear a mask -- when might you choose to wear one? Here are the factors I'd consider.

First is your health and the vaccination status of those in your household. If you are immunocompromised, you should be wearing a mask in all indoor settings where you could be exposed to unvaccinated people.

If you live with someone who is immunocompromised or with young, unvaccinated children, you might still want to take additional precautions. Your chance of contracting Covid-19 and passing it on to your family is much lower once you're vaccinated, but it's not zero. Consider wearing a mask in high-risk settings, such as crowded grocery stores or indoor church services.

Second is the level of coronavirus infection and the rate of vaccination in your community. These two are generally correlated.

 

Museums Set the Standard for Good Air Quality

Of all the measures that LACMA is implementing, HVAC is probably the most critical after social distancing and face covering,” a Los Angeles County Museum of Art spokesperson told Artnet News in an email.

Before US museums closed last March, many institutions began implementing “rigorous cleaning protocols,” putting sanitation workers into overdrive to eradicate potential fomites from high-touch surfaces.

But as scientists began to better understand the novel coronavirus and how it was transmitted, it became clear that what we should really be worried about was airborne transmission.

Appropriate ventilation can help reduce the concentration of viral particles in indoor air. Conversely, poorly designed airflow can actually increase risk of transmission,” the American Alliance of Museums explained in a guide issued after the onset of the pandemic.

Fortunately, museums are held to pretty high air-quality standards by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, or ASHRAE, to maintain optimal conservation conditions.

“For preservation purposes with the art, there’s a very, very stringent indoor requirement in terms of temperature and humidity that needs to be maintained,” said Molly Dee, head of deep carbon reduction at the consulting firm Jaros, Baum & Bolles, which worked on the 2019 expansion of the Museum of Modern Art, and helped survey the facilities ahead of its reopening.

“The design of our air systems, which have high performance filters in place to meet preservation needs, also helps us adhere to current ventilation guidelines,” a representative of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco told Artnet News in an email. “We always monitor environmental conditions, especially temperature and relative humidity, closely and continuously. This allows us to detect the impact of any changes, and to make adjustments to artwork displays as needed.”

Across town, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is frequently pressed into service as a “breathing center” during California fire season. The museum’s lobby and public spaces offer fresh, clean air to the public when the state’s air quality hits unsafe levels.

And at the Museum in Fine Arts in Houston, the first major museum in the country to reopen, a high-tech ventilation system was always especially important because of the local climate. (The museum installed new HVAC systems in two of its three buildings only three years ago.)

“Because of the problems with humidity and the possibility of mold growth, which is pervasive in our atmosphere, ventilation is really important,” director Gary Tinterow told Artnet News. “What’s good for works of art is good for human beings also. Museum environments are exceptionally clean and healthy.”

In its official ventilation in buildings guidelines, the CDC does not recommend that businesses replace their ventilation systems to protect against COVID, but does advise that “upgrades or improvements can increase the delivery of clean air and dilute potential contaminants.”

For some museums, those improvements include increasing the frequency with which air circulates through the building.

At the MFAH, “in any given space the air is going to change every five to seven minutes,” Tinterow said. “We increased the amount of fresh air flow through the building during the day and at night.”

That meant turning off “demand control ventilation,” a popular energy-saving tool that limits intake of fresh air when buildings are closed so that the heating, cooling, and dehumidifying systems have less work to do.

“Many spaces have disabled that function for the time being and have really focused on just bringing in more outdoor air more frequently,” Dee said.

Tinterow said the increased energy costs are somewhat offset because the MFAH is now open five days a week instead of six, and there is lower electricity use with some employees still working from home.

Another way museums are improving air quality is by installing more effective air filters, as measured by the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value system. MERV ratings range from one to 20, with the highest levels, above 16, typically employed in hospital operating rooms and other cleanroom environments. (The CDC and ASHRAE both recommend a minimum rating of MERV 13 to reduce the possibility of virus transmission.)

“We have enhanced our current systems, which have a three-stage filtration system, by upgrading to MERV 14 filters that will be changed more frequently, and achieving four to five air changes per hour,” the LACMA rep said.

At MoMA, “our new spaces opened in 2019 with MERV-16 filters and since then, we’ve gradually upgraded filters across our campus everywhere possible to MERV-13 and MERV-16. This process was expedited with the outbreak of the pandemic and completed last summer,” a MoMA representative told Artnet News in an email.

The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago replaced its HVAC equipment as part of its 50th anniversary building redesign in 2017. “It was state of art, and it provided additional air flow capacity,” Gwen Perry Davis, director of operations, told Artnet News.

But before reopening in July, the museum spent months evaluating the premises, including the HVAC systems, conducting an outside evaluation to ensure that there was sufficient air circulation.

“We passed that with flying colors,” Davis said.

The MFAH is also looking into using new filter technology from the University of Houston and a local company called Medistar that kills 99.8 percent of coronavirus particles. The filter is electrified, heating up to 392 degrees to zap the virus. The company has already donated one to the museum.

“We’ve installed it in our James Turrell space, which is probably the most confined space that we have in the museum,” Tinterow said.

But despite the importance of air circulation, HVAC is, of course, only part of equation when it comes to keeping museums safe in the age of COVID-19.

“We have a high-quality air system,” a Cleveland Museum of Art representative told Artnet News. “We look at it as a part of a number of activities—including limiting occupancy, social distancing, disinfecting, and temperature checks—that all work together to provide the safest environment possible.”

 

Mainetti will Supply HK 96 Nanofiber Masks to Hong Kong Delegation to the Olympics

The Mainetti Group a leading global retail solutions provider, is pleased to announce that MainettiCare – the Company's high-quality PPE range – has become the "Official Face Mask Supplier" of the Hong Kong, China Delegation travelling to the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics Games (Tokyo 2020), under a partnership with the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC).

As the Official Face Mask Supplier, MainettiCare will provide 100% Made in Hong Kong high-performance HK96 Nanofiber Filter 3D Face Masks (HK96™) and the MainettiCare Disposable Masks (ASTM Level 3) to the travelling Hong Kong, China Delegation. This essential PPE will safeguard athletes and officials from Covid-19 while providing maximum performance and comfort.

MainettiCare's HK96™ masks offer better breathability and maintains more than 98% Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE), Particle Filtration Efficiency (PFE) and Viral Filtration Efficiency (VFE) even after 96 hours of continuous use, as tested by Intertek, an independent international laboratory. The ergonomically designed masks also feature adjustable ear loops for a tight fit while ensuring comfort during workouts.

Mr. Paul Tai, Regional Director of the Far East & Global Head of MainettiCare, said, "We are incredibly honored that MainettiCare has been selected as the 'Official Face Mask Supplier' to the Hong Kong, China Olympic Delegation to Tokyo 2020. With sustainability being a key focus of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games, the ability of the HK96™ mask to be used for up to 96 hours is an important feature, and also highlights Mainetti's own commitment to sustainability as part of its 60^th Anniversary celebrations."

"We look forward to the many proud moments that our local Olympians and Paralympians are sure to provide. We wish them every success as they go for gold . Mainetti's diversified portfolio includes Packaging, Branding, Supply Chain, and Intelligent (RFID) Solutions, and in 2020, we introduced a line of Health and Safety products that help customers in their efforts to mitigate Covid-19 risks. Our holistic supply chain process uses innovative materials to create products with less energy and more renewable sources every year.in Japan."

Mask with 300 nm Nanofibers Captures 99.9% of the Coronavirus

Investigators from the University of California at Riverside, in collaboration with the George Washington University, discovered that a filter made from polymer nanothreads can capture up to 99.9% of coronavirus aerosols. Results from the study were published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters.

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

For the study, investigators sent high electrical voltage through a drop of liquid polyvinylidene fluoride to spin threads about 300 nanometers in diameter and created a nanofiber filter. The technique is known as electrospinning and can be a cheap way to mass produce the filters for personal protective equipment and air filtration systems.

“The electrospun air filters showed excellent performance by capturing up to 99.9% of coronavirus aerosols, which outperformed many commercial face masks,” the study states. “In addition, we observed that the same electrospun air filter or face mask removed NaCl aerosols equivalently or less effectively in comparison to the coronavirus aerosols when both aerosols were generated from the same system. Our work paves a new avenue for advancing air filtration by developing electrospun nanofibrous air filters for controlling SARS-CoV-2 airborne transmission.”

Most studies up until now have used other materials to mimic both the size and behavior of coronaviruses, but the investigators in this study use an aerosolized saline solution and an aerosol that contained a coronavirus from the same family as COVID-19.

Findings from the study showed that the cotton mask and neck gaiter removes around 45% to 73% of the aerosols, while the surgical mask removed around 98%. However, the nanofiber filter removed almost all of the coronavirus aerosols, just about 99.9%.

"Electrospinning can advance the design and fabrication of face masks and air filters," Shen said. "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."

 

California Farm Workers to get N95 masks for Wildfire Season

California may soon grant farmworkers essential access to the state’s stockpile of N95 respirators to distribute when wildfire smoke is hazardous.

While the measure has steadily advanced through the Legislature, some Republican lawmakers remained concerned that granting more access to the stockpile could deplete supplies as the highly contagious delta variant continues to spread across the state. At the same time, the standards board governing California’s workplace health and safety agency, Cal/OSHA, last month approved changes to its COVID-19 regulations, which now require all employers to provide N95 masks to workers upon request. Business groups had feared this would lead to a repeat of the mask shortages in 2020.

In 2019 Cal/OSHA began requiring employers to distribute N95 masks to outdoor workers when the air quality index reaches a certain threshold and becomes hazardous. A recent study found wildfire smoke to be 10 times more harmful than other sources of air pollution.

Marco Lizarraga, who directs the farmworker group La Cooperativa Campesina de California, said that during the pandemic and wildfires, farmworkers were treated as “a sacrificial labor force.” He explained the health impacts wildfires have posed to workers.

“The inhalation of smoke may bring about pulmonary diseases, cardiovascular illnesses and an exacerbation of asthma,” testified Lizarraga. “Inhalation risks include hazardous materials that might be contained in the emission of ash and soil particles as dust during agricultural activities.”

While agricultural interests have supported the intent of the measure in bolstering access to the stockpile and have not registered any opposition to the bill, they have raised concerns about certain provisions in the language.

The measure would require Cal/OSHA to deploy regional “strike teams” to enforce the wildfire smoke protections at agricultural workplaces. The California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) argued this should be based on need and not mandated. Rivas later softened the language from “shall” to “may” for deploying the teams.

 

King Country Oregon Recommending Filters and Masks for Wildfire Season

Last September, in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic, we lived through an unprecedented wildfire smoke event throughout the Pacific Northwest that shattered air pollution records. For five consecutive days, King County residents experienced outdoor air quality that ranged from unhealthy to very unhealthy. The poor air quality was caused by a “super massive” plume of smoke from multiple wildfires in Oregon that burned more than a million acres and destroyed more than 4,000 homes. Fires near the King/Pierce County border also contributed to the poor air quality locally.

Wildfire activity and weather patterns vary from year to year, making it a challenge to predict the likelihood of experiencing wildfire smoke events in any given year. However, for three of the past four years, wildfire smoke in our region has exposed people to unhealthy levels of particulate air pollution for prolonged periods of time. That is why Public Health is encouraging all residents to prepare now and be Smoke Ready.

What is the health threat from wildfire smoke?

Wildfire smoke is unhealthy for everyone, but children, pregnant women, stroke survivors, and people who are over 65 years of age or who have a respiratory disease or illness, heart disease or diabetes are especially vulnerable to smoke. It contains small particles and other chemicals that can irritate your eyes, nose, throat and lungs. It can cause your eyes to burn and your nose to run. Smoke can cause wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and headaches. It can also worsen any existing lung, heart, or circulatory condition people may have, such as triggering asthma attacks. For most people symptoms are relatively minor but the impacts on the most vulnerable can be serious or even deadly. Research finds that people often experience the most severe outcomes from wildfire smoke the day after they were exposed.

One group that suffered more reported health impacts last year was, perhaps surprisingly, young, healthy people between 20 to 30-years old, many of whom continued to be active outdoors during smoke days. Please remember smoke is unhealthy for all.

Wildfire smoke increases health risks for people with COVID-19, including those who have recovered.

Wildfire smoke may increase the severity of symptoms for people with COVID-19. COVID-19 can make it much harder to breathe. Poor air quality caused by wildfire smoke may make it even harder for people to fight COVID-19 since both have the potential to affect the lungs, and other overlapping parts of the immune system. Many people most susceptible to COVID-19 are also those most vulnerable to the impacts of wildfire smoke.

Individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 may be more vulnerable to wildfire smoke due to potential long-term damage from COVID in the lungs. With more than 100,000 people in King County having recovered from COVID-19 illness, it is more important than ever to take steps to be Smoke Ready, especially if you or a family member has recovered from COVID-19.

How to be prepared for wildfire smoke this year

Prepare your home –

If the air quality is poor, stay indoors to the extent possible. Creating a clean air space inside your home is your best option to ensure you are able to get relief from wildfire smoke this season. Find out more information from the U.S. EPA here.

Filtering the air in your home will reduce risk from COVID-19 as well as from smoke. Filtered air will reduce smoke levels and the amount of virus circulating in the air indoors. However, filtering air indoors alone will not be enough to protect you from the spread of COVID-19, and best practices of vaccination, social distancing, hand washing, and other measures should still be followed.

·         If you have an HVAC system, buy filters that have the highest designated filter rating that the manufacturer recommends. Use the “recirculation” mode during wildfire smoke events. This is the best way to improve indoor air quality though out your home rather than just a single room.

• Another option to improve your indoor air quality it to consider purchasing an indoor portable air cleaner that has a “clean air delivery rating” (CADR) that matches the size of the room where you intend to use it. Choose a portable air cleaner that does not create ozone by selecting a model that has been certified by the California Air Resources Board. An approved list of portable air cleaners can be found on their website.  More information on indoor air filters is available on the EPA’s website.
  
  
• You can also create your own low-cost air filter using a box fan and air filter to improve air quality in a single room in your home. Information on how to make a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) portable air cleaner and important safety tips to follow can be found on Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s website.

When it gets smoky, you should also consider steps to reduce indoor sources of air pollution by keeping windows and doors closed and avoiding activities like burning candles and smoking indoors. Try to avoid vacuuming, unless you use a vacuum with a HEPA filter.

What about masks?

In an effort to continue to prevent transmission of COVID-19, Public Health officials have directed people in King County to continue wearing face coverings over their noses and mouths in indoor public locations and outdoor settings where they can’t stay six feet apart, until 70% of the population is fully vaccinated. Cloth and surgical masks generally provide very little protection against wildfire smoke. N95 respirators can provide protection against wildfire smoke when well fitted and worn properly. However, if worn incorrectly they can provide a false since of security, increasing your susceptibility to wildfire smoke. Because these respirators can restrict air flow and make it harder to breathe, N95 masks can worsen some pre-existing health conditions. Speak with your healthcare provider before using an N95 or other respirator for any extended period of time. And remember, limiting your time outdoors during wildfire smoke events is the best way to reduce your exposure to wildfire smoke.

Know where you can go

As the county continues to reopen on the path to COVID-19 recovery, public locations with cleaner and cooler air may continue to have specific requirements such as occupancy limitations, or time limits for customers and guests as they continue to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Public Health recommend.

 

Sanders Filters Claimed to Obtain MERV 16 Efficiency with Low Resistance

Sanders Containment Filters are claimed to be revolutionary because they can provide MERV 16 rated air filtration with filtration efficiencies up to 98.5% at 0.3 micron. The filters are able to achieve this with no retrofitting of the current HVAC system. The low-resistance air flow levels are what make this air filter unique allowing Sanders Filters to be utilized in almost any HVAC system.

Key features and benefits of Sanders Containment Air Filters:

• Made of a flat pad, roll material that is easily deployed into traditional HVAC systems
• Able to reduce viral germ transmission in HVAC systems without requiring modification
• Contain suspended submicron particles the size of known pathogens found within building interiors
• Offers immediate fixed and portable submicron indoor air filtration options
• Sanders "DRAPE and TAPE" system brings HVAC systems into compliance exceeding
  current MERV 13 standards
• Provides filtration in facility areas not serviced by standard system return vents
• Submicron particulate filtration efficiencies: MERV 13 Filters = <50% | Sanders Filters = <95% Range 1 [0.3-1.0 micron]