Control of CoVID-19 in the Workplace
Luminnova Health has researched a number of effective infection control options to lessen the risk of CoVID-19 transmission to your employees, visitors and members of the public.
The key strategies include cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and objects that people frequently touch, offering contact-free sanitizers at convenient locations within your facility or vehicle and use of appropriate and effective personal protective equipment depending on your field of work.
There is also increasing evidence that CoVID-19 may remain airborne for several hours. This may be a significant route of transmission which has to be addressed if we are to succeed in our disinfection measures. ULV foggers and high performance air purifiers both provide ideal mechanisms for targeting airborne CoVID-19 viral particles.
The most effective strategy is to adopt a multi-layered, evidence based approach to sanitation as this significantly increases the chances of success in preventing the spread of this highly contagious virus. The common vectors have to be addressed:
Hands
Surfaces
Possible Airborne Spread
However, in practicing these stringent hygiene measures it is also important to avoid the risks of toxic or irritating chemicals or other agents that may lead to other health risks or damage to the environment.
Target the Hands
The hands are one of the most common vectors of transmission of CoVID-19 and other viruses. People frequently cough and sneeze into their hands or touch their mouth or nose, providing a ready means of spreading the virus to everything they touch.
It may be impossible to avoid touching objects which have been touched by other individuals during the course of the day so it’s important to repeatedly sanitize the hands after every contact with shared objects. It is therefore necessary to have hand sanitizers at several convenient locations around your facility. Furthermore the sanitizer dispensers are also easily contaminated, so contact-free models are strongly recommended.
Spray bottles can also be used “on the go” or as a supplement to the no-touch dispensers. However care should be taken to regularly sanitize the trigger mechanism or any part of the bottle that is touched. This is easily accomplished by using more than one spray bottle.
In view of the frequency of use, we recommend hypochlorous acid instead of alcohol based sanitizers as it is a more effective biocide and is not irritating to the skin even with repeated use. This is important as we are now observing an increased number of cases of excessively dry skin - and even irritant and allergic contact dermatitis resulting from frequent use of alcohol-based and other irritating hand sanitizers.
Target Surfaces
Frequent manual cleaning of high touch surfaces is an absolute must. These include door handles, service counters, pens, telephones, furniture and electronic equipment. For most surfaces, this can be rapidly accomplished with the use of spray dispensers. To properly disinfect a surface, ensure that all visible contaminants are removed prior to spraying disinfectant. If using hypochlorous acid, the surface must be wet as opposed to just damp for 1 full minute for an adequate level of disinfection.
Ultra-low volume (ULV) disinfection foggers provide an additional, highly efficient means of dispersing the disinfectant thoroughly on large and hard to reach surfaces and if properly applied, it can even be safely used on textiles and electronic items. ULV fogging generates a cloud of extremely small droplets of a disinfectant liquid. These droplets land on and all around surfaces within a room that may be difficult or even impossible to access using conventional cleaning methods.
“Dry” mist foggers loaded with a safe disinfectant like hypochlorous acid can also be used to sanitize a wider range of objects than manual cleaning, including textiles and electronic items.
Previously only available through specialist cleaning services, it’s now possible to have one of these effective sanitation devices at your disposal as needed throughout the course of the day. Many fogging devices are large, heavy, very noisy and have to be plugged in during use. Luminnova Health has exclusively sourced a smaller, lightweight, rechargeable model which is easily deployed wherever needed throughout the course of the day.
Target Airborne Spread
ULV FOGGERS - A RAPID MEANS OF BREAKING THE CHAIN OF INFECTION
ULV foggers and specialized air purifiers can be utilized for combating airborne pathogens and disinfecting an entire room or larger areas. They can effectively and rapidly break the chain of infection in the work environment.
Ultra-low volume (ULV) disinfection fogging generates a cloud of extremely small droplets of a disinfectant liquid. This offers an efficient and powerful means of reducing the number of pathogens both on surfaces and in the air. The tiny droplets can remain airborne for some time which is ideal for targeting airborne viral particles. If loaded with a safe, non-toxic and non-irritating disinfectant such as hypochlorous acid the fogger can not only be used to rapidly disinfect the air and but can also be used to provide safe “head to toe” disinfection as persons enter your establishment.
MESP Purifiers - FOR CONSTANT AND EFFECTIVE AIR PURIFICATION
Luminnova Health has selected micro-electrostatic sterilizing purifiers (MESP) purifiers as the optimal solution for overall air quality and reduction of CoVID-19 airborne transmission. We are pleased to announce that we have exclusively partnered with AirQuality Technology to provide this solution in the Bahamas. AirQuality Technology is one of the pioneering companies in this arena. They have supplied air purifiers to CoVID-19 hospitals in China and provide extensive independent data on the performance of their purifiers.
In addition to the use of ULV foggers which provide a targeted burst of disinfectant on a repeated basis as needed during the course of the day, as persons or goods enter your facility, these specialized air purifiers can constantly purify the air and inactivate viral particles.
Efficient and effective air purification is extremely important for indoor spaces where the air is re-circulated as any airborne viral particles will then be circulated throughout the facility. It may account for the higher rates of transmission observed in indoor spaces. This can be addressed either with comprehensive HVAC solutions and/or targeted smaller, more affordable specialized air purifier units which are strategically placed.
It is important to confirm that the purifier selected can safely and effectively neutralize viruses including CoVID-19 and that it is correctly rated to efficiently purify the space where it’s deployed. For example, a large open gym or church will have very different requirements to a small office space or medical exam room. This has to be considered and carefully calculated in order to optimally target airborne viral spread.
If investing in an air purifier it is also important to assess if it can also effectively and efficiently remove dangerous fine particulate matter that can get into the deep parts of your lungs — or even into your bloodstream. This is of critical importance as your heath and the health of your staff, clients and family are at stake.
The main alternatives to MESP technology are HEPA, UVC (UVGI), standard electrostatic purifiers (ESP) and plasma air purifiers. MESP technology offers several advantages over other air purifier technologies in terms of efficacy, safety and efficiency.
EFFICACY - Test data from independent test labs confirm that MESP purifiers can effectively remove and neutralize viruses, bacteria and fungal spores. These tests confirm a bacterial removal rate of 99.96% for the common bacterial pathogen staphylococcus and a 99.99% viral removal rate for H1N1 Influenza virus which has a similar structure to CoVID-19.
Test data also confirms very effective removal of extremely fine particulate matter called PM 2.5 (particles 2.5 microns or less) which are thought to have potentially severe health consequences. In fact, our portable MESP purifier has a P4 rating which is the highest category of particulate matter removal. It has a rated air volume of 20, 129 cubic feet/hour! This means it will rapidly cleanse a small or medium sized room within a matter of minutes.
UVGI is also highly effective at killing or inactivating microorganisms by destroying nucleic acids and disrupting their DNA, leaving them unable to perform vital cellular functions. However it’s use is limited by the fact that all target surfaces and must be directly irradiated by the UV light in order for it to be fully effective: any shadow areas will not be targeted by the UVGI. Secondly, the destruction of viruses requires that the air is irradiated for several seconds, meaning that if the air flow rate is too high, there will be insufficient time for it to work. Lastly, UVGI may damage the skin and eyes so human exposure must be avoided.
As a result, the safest and most effective UVGI application for airborne CoVID-19 transmission is combining it with HEPA filtration whereby the filter traps the airborne viral matter and it is killed by shining UVGI onto the filter within an enclosed space. This avoids human exposure and allows sufficient time for the UVGI to work. This is a viable method for CoVID-19 airborne mitigation but it does have some drawbacks, especially over time. Firstly, any dust settling on the UVGI bulbs will impair it’s efficacy over time, resulting in reduced viral inactivation. Secondly, UV irradiation may itself impact the physical and chemical properties of HEPA and other media filters, leading to reduced performance over time.
By contrast, MESPTM filters are easily removed, washed and replaced in the purifier. They can retain their effectiveness for 10 years with minimal degradation in function.
SAFETY - As mentioned above, it’s critically important that the methods used to lower CoVID-19 risk do not introduce other safety risks such as exposure to toxic substances, UV radiation or inadvertent viral exposure.
Ozone Exposure - Ozone is a highly effective germicidal solution. However excessive ozone exposure can cause difficulty breathing and damage the lungs (https://www.epa.gov/ground-level-ozone-pollution/health-effects-ozone-pollution). Therefore ozone purifiers require evacuation of the premises for several hours to avoid human exposure. A number of other air purifier technologies produce smaller but nevertheless concerning amounts of ozone as a by product of the normal operation of the device. These include ESP technology, plasma, UVGI and photocatalyst purifiers.
Our MESP technology offers a huge safety advantage in that it is essentially ozone free (<0.003mg/m3 ozone). This is almost undetectable and well below levels of ozone that are considered safe (0.2 mg/m3).
UV and Mercury Exposure - due to the significant danger posed by UVGI to the skin and eyes, this measure can only be employed after evacuation of the facility or alternatively, it can be installed in the ceiling space or enclosed within purifier devices which shield the UVC rays. Handling and disposal of mercury containing UVC lamps may also present an environmental and health challenge.
Electric Shock - The electrical current employed by first generation electrostatic purifiers results in the potential for electric shock and ozone production. In contrast, the MESP filter operates with about one micro-ampere (one millionth of one ampere) of current. As a result, there is no risk of electric shock and they can be freely placed around children or the elderly with no concern.
Viral/Bacterial/Toxin/Allergen Leakage - HEPA filters are highly efficient at trapping particulate matter. In fact they offer the highest once-through removal rate of bacterial, viral and particulate matter. However, HEPA trap viruses and bacteria as opposed to destroying them so inadvertent exposure may take place, especially when filters are changed. MESP filters not only trap viruses and other dangerous pathogens, but also effectively destroys and inactivates them. As a result filters can be handled without concern of exposure.
EFFICIENCY - In addition to the upfront cost of the air purifier, it’s also important to consider the ongoing cost of operating the air purifier including cost of consummables and power consumption.
Cost of Consumables - With constant usage, HEPA filters may need to be replaced roughly every six months or less. MESP purifiers employ unique patented nano polypropylene filters which are durable and washable. What’s more, the magnetic buckle panel enclosure means that the filter is easily accessible and re-installed after washing. The same filter may be used for 10 years or more. This represents a significant cost savings!
Energy Consumption - In contrast with HEPA and other traditional media filters, where air is forced through a matrix of small air passages, MESP filters offer much lower air resistance. The result is a higher efficiency and far lower energy consumption.
PRODUCT CERTIFICATIONS
Hypochlorous Acid:
A SAFE, NON-TOXIC, NON-IRRITATING AND HIGHLY EFFECTIVE DISINFECTANT
The new health challenge posed by CoVID-19 calls for enhanced and frequently used sanitation solutions. At present harsh chemical disinfectants such as 70% alcohol or bleach are generally employed. These are effective at eliminating the CoVID-19 virus, but there is a trade off: they pose a risk to humans and the environment. Possible adverse effects include skin and eye irritation, allergies and respiratory symptoms. Fortunately there is a far superior alternative. Electrolyzed water - also known as hypochlorous acid (HOCl) - is a highly effective and safe sanitizing agent. Hypochlorous acid is included on the list of acceptable sanitizing agents approved by the EPA.
EFFICACY - Hypochlorous acid is as effective or even more effective than many of the common disinfectant options currently in use. It is very efficient at eliminating bacteria, fungi and viruses. A study carried out in 2016 at the University of Washington School of Public Health found that HOCl was more than 99.999 percent effective in eliminating coronavirus OC43, which has a very similar protein envelope structure to COVID-19. In fact HOCL is estimated to be at least 60-80 times more effective than bleach - but is gentle on the skin!
SAFETY - HOCl is both non-irritating and safe. It is actually a naturally occurring molecule, generated by our immune cells as a part of our defense against infections. There are a number of commercially available HOCl products that are used as eye rinses, oral rinses or for wound care. In fact, it is so safe to inhale that it is being evaluated as a treatment for throat and lung infections.
As it is completely harmless, HOCl is an ideal fogging agent to control the spread of CoVID-19. The use of special protective gear and other safety measures are not required to protect those carrying out the sanitation measures, the public or the environment. In fact, HOCl is routinely used in some countries to decontaminate health care workers at the end of their shifts. In contrast, many other fogging agents require special PPE and clearing the premises during, and for a period of time after fogging as they pose a danger to human health.
If dispensed from a micro-mist ULV apparatus (10-20 microns), HOCl droplets will have a larger surface area and remain suspended in the air for a longer periods of time which is more effective against airborne viral particles. The “dry” mist produced by these micro-ULV foggers can be even used on computers and other items which are damaged by excessive moisture. Furthermore, HOCl affords an additional advantage over bleach and peroxide-based chemicals because it will not cause discoloration of most carpets, furniture and textiles.
HOCl is also an ideal alternative to potentially drying and irritating alcohol based hand sanitizers and can also be hygienically dispensed by no-touch automatic spray dispensers
APPLICATION - Hypochlorous acid can be used in all business, healthcare and hospitality and other service environments. In fact it is so safe that the FDA has approved HOCL for sanitizing food items such as fruits, vegetables, seafood and food prep areas. It can be used to rapidly disinfect any surface and is ideal for any business or home environment:
Medical or Dental Offices
Hospitals
Day Care Centers
Hair and Nail Salons, Spas, Massage Therapists
Gyms
Restaurants
Hotels
Public and Private Transport Vehicles
Supermarkets and Retail Stores
Professional Offices
Public Spaces
Homes
Churches
Other Venues
PRODUCT QUALITY - It is important to ensure that the HOCL is properly produced and preserved in order to guarantee efficacy against CoVID-19 and other pathogens. It is critical that the batch is properly generated, tested and stored to ensure that each customer receives an optimal product. Luminnova Health guarantees quality and a proper chain of custody in delivering a high quality, safe product at a cost that is comparable to less desirable alternative disinfectants.
STORAGE: In order to prolong efficacy of the hypochlorous acid, please avoid exposure of product to UV light (sunlight) and temperatures in excess of 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Once purchased, we recommend use within 1 month although studies have confirmed efficacy up to 6 months if properly stored.
For more information on HOCL supplies, convenient and cost effective ULV foggers, automatic HOCL hand sanitizer dispensers and other CoVID-19 preventative solutions, visit our Luminnova Health Store or call us at (242) 394-2177.
UVC/Ozone Sterilizers
These handy devices can be used to effectively sterilize masks, keys, mobile phones and other small items, which are frequently touched but can be difficult to sterilize by other methods. Placed on your desk for use as needed during the day or at home to reduce cross-infection between work and home.
This device employs UVC at an optimal wavelength of 253.7nm + VUV to produce ozone. Scientific publications indicate that both UVC and ozone are highly effective at inactivating enveloped viruses including CoVID-19 and many other pathogens.
Although UVC effectively inactivates CoVID-19, the degree of sterilization may be limited if the entire surface of the object is not directly irradiated by the UV light. Fortunately ozone provides a second line of defense permeates the entire sterilizer chamber even these shadow areas or tiny crevices are sterilized.
The compact size of the device is an important design feature which means that the object to be sterilized is always close enough to the UV light source (within 3cm) and also facilitates an adequate ozone concentration. Designed with safety in mind, the UV lamps will automatically turn off if the sterilizer is inadvertently opened during the sterilization process. Once closed, the sterilization will resume.
Certified by CE, Rohs and FCC this sterilizer is supported by extensive independent microbiology tests indicating 99.99% efficacy against various pathogens, even stubborn fungal spores (99.9%)
Daily Temperature Monitoring
Although some individuals with CoVID-19 appear to have asymptomatic infection, temperature changes are the most commmon early warning sign. We recommend measuring and recording temperature readings for your entire team and any visitors that need to gain access to your facility.
This approach provides a clear picture of what is “normal” for each individual and a very early warning sign should this become elevated. For example, for someone who normally has a temperature of 97.1F a one degree rise will still appear in the “normal” range but it may be significant for them.
Also, be aware that normal temperature readings in an elderly person are generally lower so it’s better to look at a daily trend. Many people may not even be aware that they have a mild fever and therefore do not take precautions to self isolate.
Luminnova Health offers no-touch infra-red thermometers which avoid physical contact and record temperatures within 1 second.