The recent Coronavirus outbreak has again demonstrated the effectiveness of the use of air purification oxidation technology in medical facilities around the world. Air purification and oxidisation is a major contributor in speeding up patient recovery times and in preventing the spread of viruses, bacteria, and other harmful indoor contaminants.
Although the technology was originally developed for health facilities, a combination of demand from the public and from employees for better indoor environments, research-driven technological advances, and more efficient manufacturing processes has contributed to the adoption of air purifiers by the commercial, education, and public sectors (including the military).
In this article, Airius describes:
- The coronavirus pandemic of 2020
- The Chinese authorities and the installation of air purifier to aid patient recovery
- The importance of air purifier usage within health facilities
- How the Airius PureAir reduces the presence of virus by 99.99%
The Coronavirus Pandemic Of 2020
On 1st December 2019, doctors detected the symptoms of a brand new and potentially lethal virus in a person in the Chinese province of Wuhan who had not been at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market. This was significant because the forty people who had been recorded as experiencing the same symptoms had links to the seafood market. The discovery of a person with the same illness who did not share the common link was the first indication that it was a communicable virus.
The virus then spread quickly in the Wuhan province and then to other countries around the world because of the interconnected global economy and travel networks.
On the 11th March 2020, the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak of the new virus, called either the Coronavirus or COVID-19, as a pandemic after the number of cases outside China increased by 1,200% over the period of the previous fortnight.
Air Purifiers In Wuhan – Ground Zero Of The Original Outbreak
The Chinese government’s reaction to the outbreak of COVID-19 was rapid. Within days, 14 temporary hospitals had been built by the authorities to cope with the number of in-patients created by the virus. The first hospital opened on February the 5th and treated 1,848 patients before its closure on March 10th – just 34 days later.
More so than perhaps any other country, China has the experience to deal with COVID-19 because of the previous outbreaks in the country of SARS and swine flu.
The authorities appreciated the importance of clean and sanitised air in the treatment of the new outbreak – High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) air purifiers were installed in many local health facilities to aid patients’ respiration during treatment.
The Use Of Air Purifiers In Health Facilities
Doctors have long recognised the value of clean air in both patients’ recovery time and for its effectiveness in preventing further infection in their patients. The quality of indoor air has been directly linked to health epidemics including outbreaks of SARS, MRSA, and Legionnaires’ disease.
Many bacteria and viruses live in the air and on surfaces within health facilities. For every medical facility, there is a constant need for them to decontaminate their indoor spaces to protect against noxious contaminants like infectious diseases, residue of chemicals used in treatment, the risks posed by hazardous materials, and micro-organisms which either threaten the health of patients or staff or could be damaging to the environment at large.
In addition to general decontamination procedures like sterilisation, antisepsis application, disinfection, ultrasonic cleaning, water purification, and regular cleaning, air purification reduces the risk of airborne infection and the growth of mould (now recognised as being responsible for many respiratory illnesses and a suspected cause of many cases of sudden infant death syndrome).
Oxidisation technology also features in many air purification system installations in both health facilities and other organisations. Controlled oxidisation through the use of compounds like chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, and ozone effectively and quickly destroys threats to human health and comfort like, volatile organic compounds (VOC) as well as producing better health outcomes. Advances in a more recent oxidisation technology called photohydroionisation is yielding very promising results and it is being deployed in many products reaching the market like the Airius PureAir.
The Use Of Air Purifiers In Health Facilities
The Airius PureAir air purification and odour control system builds upon the latest non-HEPA and oxidisation technology to protect staff, visitors, patients, guests, and other stakeholders from indoor air pollution. There are four models available for organisations to choose from – speak with an Airius representative to help you in selecting the best model for your premises and user base.
There are multiple health sector applications for the Airius system including doctors’ surgeries, dentists’ surgeries, hospitals, first aid facilities, care and nursing homes, and general medical facilities. Its 4-log reduction technology reduces virus presence and surface bacteria to a factor of 99.9%.
In independent test results, Airius PureAir reduced the presence of MRSA, Norwalk Virus, Streptococcus, Bird Flu, Swine Flu, Candida Albicans, and SARS by 99.99% within just 24hrs. The same was recorded over 48 hours for listeria, mould, streptococcus pneumoniae, staphylococcus aureus, and bacillus globigii.
PureAir’s use is not just restricted to medical facilities. Other businesses, the military, and the education sector invest in the system to reduce absenteeism, the presence of odours, gases, vapours, and VOCs.
Find Out More About Airius PureAir
Feedback from medical facilities, businesses, retailers, schools, and the public sector on the Airius PureAir have been very favourable. In addition to a 20% reduction in staff absenteeism, a cleaner working environment, and better stakeholder health, users appreciate:
- The system requires no maintenance
- The PureAir units are unobtrusive, versatile, and small
- The reduction in CO2 emissions, heating costs, and cooling costs, and
- Its compatibility with current HVAC systems.
We work with public sector organisations and businesses to improve physical environment for the staff and the public and to reduce energy expenditure. Our client roster includes British Airways, Harrods, Mercedes, Siemens, Morrisons and Waitrose.
If you have any questions or queries about the Airius PureAir or PHI Cell, please Contact Us anytime by phone, on +61 (2) 6608 2736 or by email at [email protected].
Stay SAFE!
