The latest air treatment technology will save lives

IN A PANDEMIC, THERE IS NO TIME TO LOSE

If there is one thing the pandemic has taught us, it’s that we cannot keep referring to old procedures, data and technology, and expect them to be what is required to keep us safe today.

Recent research along with more than two years of living with fear of sickness or worst-case scenario, death, has forced us to reach for fresh solutions based on the most innovative technological updates.

In April 2021, the World Health Organisation updated their guidelines to acknowledge that transmission of COVID-19 is airborne, whereas previously it was believed to be transferred by droplets.

As a result, ventilation and filtration are hot topics related to COVID-19 and an area where there have been many advances, yet healthcare and aged care facilities still latch onto guidelines written over 20 years ago. High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters were once and still are the preferred version to remove viruses from the air, even with their downfalls such as trapping viruses as opposed to neutralising them and expensive filter changes. So, why do we still follow outdated guidelines?

The wheels of change move slowly, it takes time and money to review and rewrite procedures and sometimes unless an adverse event occurs, it gets put on the backburner as there isn’t enough people power for the task.

But the pandemic is an adverse event and now is the time to act and save lives.

Newer technologies have advanced since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak solely to tackle this problem and those facilities that research and embrace these will be at the forefront of providing the best care and outcomes for those under their protection. that people are the major source of infectious contamination and disease transmission so therefore it’s important to have source control management at room level.

A peer reviewed study conducted on ceiling mounted UV-C systems, such as UV Angel Air, resulted in overall airborne fungus and bacteria reductions of 78 per cent and 62 per cent respectively—and the science tells us that reducing pathogens from the air can lower surface contamination.

People are the main source of transmission, so in-room source-level control is the key to healthier environments.

UV Angel Air is an example of a recent advance in air filtration. It is an unobtrusive environmental treatment system that uses contained ultraviolet light to treat the air automatically and continually. Air is quietly drawn into a sealed chamber where it is treated with high-intensity UV-C light to inactivate bacteria, fungus and viruses in the air. UV Angel test results showed elimination rates up to 99.99 per cent, and an advantage of the in-ceiling unit is that it maintains the valuable floor space in resident and staff areas.

COVID-19 has come, and it will subside but air treatment systems such as UV Angel are designed for not just this outbreak but also to neutralise other bacteria, fungus and viruses including gram-negative pathogens, gram-positive pathogens and fungal pathogen surrogates.

We have the technology now to help Australians stay safe. The agencies who write the guidelines that our healthcare, aged care and education facilities follow should listen to the work of scientists around the world, and start incorporating the latest innovation and technology into their recommendations.

In the meantime, it is incumbent upon providers to do all they can, to protect our most vulnerable older Australians.

Carmen Klanberck is Marketing Manager, HPA. For more information please visit www.hpaust.com