Air Quality in Healthcare Facilities: Protecting Patients and Health Care Workers

Air Quality in Health Care Facilities: Protecting Patients and Health Care Workers

By Dr. Margaret Scarlett

After more than three years, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is not the prevailing health concern of Americans. On May 11, 2023, at 11:59 pm, the Public Emergency due to COVID-19 is officially over. (1) What have we learned in these three years? Can’t we just go back to the way it was before the epidemic began in 2020? The answer is NO.

We must go forward. There is no going back. We have learned a lot about respiratory infections in this time period. We have learned enough to provide better respiratory protection for both patients and healthcare workers in healthcare facilities. In the healthcare setting, we learned that bloodborne pathogen standards are necessary, but insufficient, to protect both patients and healthcare workers. We learned that more must be done.

The grim statistics let us know the problems. By April 2023, more than 1.6 million Americans have died due to COVID-19, pneumonia, and influenza since the start of the epidemic. (2) All of these are respiratory diseases. The toll among healthcare workers has been high as well, with increased risks of exposure, and higher deaths than the general
population. (3)

There are numerous guidelines, including droplet guidelines, just not airborne transmission guidance…YET. But there will be. Are you ready? While OSHA has yet to release a standard, increased vigilance in infection control is one significant outcome of COVID-19. Early indicators are that OSHA is likely to include air quality in healthcare facilities. We have learned that enclosed spaces carry a higher risk for the acquisition of respiratory infections. Meanwhile, the Association of Heating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) released an updated position paper on infectious aerosols in October 2022. We are trying to catch up.

Numerous organizations are addressing this issue, including the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Enclosed spaces in health care settings, and also in transportation, public buildings, and meatpacking industries are being considered.

Droplet transmission guidelines are not enough, we have learned. Aerosol transmission is a concern. For healthcare settings, one nosocomial infection outbreak reported was among six healthcare workers, three of whom did not have direct contact with a child or his mother. No aerosol-generating procedures were performed, and the child was asymptomatic. The child did not cough, sneeze, cry or talk. Yet, the healthcare workers were infected even though more than six feet away from the source of the infected child patient.

All six wore surgical masks and most were at a distance of 6 feet or more without any direct contact. Three did not contact any shared equipment or surfaces. (4) What happened? We have learned that air contains an infective virus, and when the viral load is enough to accessible tissues like the nasal membranes, aerosols can transmit this respiratory disease, COVID-19, from a distance. Droplet or contact transmission just cannot explain this away. Air quality is important.

 

Dr. Margaret ScarlettDr. Margaret Scarlett is a public health expert in infectious diseases and infection control. Retired from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as a Commissioned Corps Officer of the US Public Health Service, Dr. Scarlett is now a consultant to healthcare, hospitals, and outpatient health facilities. Focusing on improved health outcomes over the last 20 years, she has provided leadership, developed and implementing strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality, due to preventable illness. In addition to the US Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Scarlett provides expertise to the World Health Organization, eight Ministries of Health, the US Department of State, the US Agency for International Development, numerous states and local health departments, and CDC. Click here to learn more.

SOURCES:

      1. https://www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/covid-19-public-health-emergency/index.html
      2. National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (CDC).  Provisional Death Counts for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/index.htm
      3. Lin S, Deng X, Ryan I, et al. COVID-19 Symptoms and Deaths among Healthcare Workers, United States. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2022;28(8):1624-1641. doi:10.3201/eid2808.212200.
      4. Goldberg L, Levinsky Y, Marcus N, Hoffer V, Gafner M, Hadas S, Kraus S, Mor M, Scheuerman O. SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Health Care Workers Despite the Use of Surgical Masks and Physical Distancing-the Role of Airborne Transmission. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Jan 27;8(3):ofab036. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofab036. PMID: 33732749; PMCID: PMC7928680.
      5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8831082/

CASPR Compact Boosts Confidence in Wichita Dental Office Disinfection of Air and Surfaces

Dental offices have long been concerned about hygiene – and not just oral hygiene. Since the 1980s, when the AIDS epidemic was first reported, dental workers have been at the forefront of dental office disinfection and using personal protective gear including gloves, masks and protective eyewear to prevent the spread of infection.

When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in early 2020, dentists were rightly concerned about the spread of the virus through routine dental cleanings and procedures. One dentist in Wichita, Kansas, felt compelled to take extra steps to protect his patients and staff.

“Before we knew much about COVID-19, we were very nervous about working on patients,” said Dr. Brick Scheer of Scheer Dentistry. “We wanted something to clean the air and surfaces so the virus didn’t spread. We were looking at air-filtration systems when we discovered the top-of-the-line CASPR Technologies.”

Environmental health care company CASPR Technologies doesn’t provide filtration systems, which only episodically clean the air. Instead, CASPR can provide dental office disinfection through products that continuously attack and kill viruses, bacteria, molds and other pathogens in the air and on surfaces using a proprietary Natural Catalytic Converter™ process. CASPR takes in ambient moisture from the air and converts it into microscopic, safe levels of hydrogen peroxide that disperse through the air and on surfaces, killing pathogens along the way.

CASPR can be placed inside a building’s existing ductwork, in acoustic ceiling tiles or as a standalone CASPR Compact unit. Scheer Dentistry has CASPR Compacts in its staff and patient areas.

Dental offices have a unique need for CASPR because dental work creates aerosols. “We have to manage that aerosol closely so we don’t infect our patients and ourselves,” Dr. Scheer said. “CASPR is all about trapping particles and killing them before they can do someone harm.”

Dr. Scheer, who was recently named Dentist of the Year by the Wichita District Dental Society, says that his patients and staff feel good when they see CASPR at work in his office. “We have a lot of confidence in our infection control methods,” he said.

He added that CASPR Technologies’ products don’t just control infections, but his staff and patients have noticed another difference that the Compact units have made. “We have fewer allergy symptoms in our building than when we walk outside or go home,” Dr. Scheer said. “We consider the dental office our safe space.”

Schools May Use ESSER Funds to Purchase Indoor Air & Surface Protection

Did you know that your child’s school may have access to funds that would allow it to install technology that could keep all students and staff healthier?

Through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, ESSER (Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief) funding is the largest investment in schools ever made by the federal government. And the U.S. Department of Education encourages use of these funds to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools. Through ARP and ESSER funds, your child’s school is now able to purchase approved items related to indoor air quality by applying for grants through your state’s department of education.

CASPR Technologies’ environmental health products fall under the umbrella of approved items. CASPR – Continuous Air and Surface Pathogen Reduction – uses a proprietary Natural Catalytic Converter™ process to remove harmful pathogens from the air and on surfaces indoors. These pathogens include bacteria, molds, viruses (even the ones that cause flu and COVID-19) and odors.

“We want to keep kids in school because absences impede their ability to learn and succeed. CASPR has been an important tool for keeping our classrooms clean,” said Michelle Haynes, principal of the Sisulu-Walker Charter School of Harlem, which has had CASPR Technologies’ products in place since 2020.

CASPR absorbs ambient moisture from the room and transforms it into safe levels of gaseous hydrogen peroxide, which disperse throughout the room and onto surfaces, killing up to 99.96% of pathogens as proven in independent lab tests. The process takes place continuously, utilizing your existing HVAC system or via tabletop units. CASPR is touch-free and requires maintenance only once every two years. It fights illnesses without you having to think about it.

“CASPR is an excellent choice for schools,” said CASPR co-founder and CEO/CTO Dr. Christophe Suchy. “We’ve seen a lot of anecdotal evidence that it reduces absenteeism and saves money for schools, which don’t have to hire substitute teachers. And our staff at CASPR Technologies can help you navigate the ESSER landscape.”

Let us help you find the right solution for your schools. Contact CASPR Technologies or your local CASPR distributor to find out how CASPR can keep your students and staff safe, providing peace of mind for everyone. For more info, visit casprtech.com.

Protecting Medically Fragile Seniors in Long-Term Care – And Staff

senior citizen

CASPR TECHNOLOGIES PROTECT MEDICALLY FRAGILE SENIORS IN LONG-TERM CARE – AND THE STAFF THAT SERVES THEM

When Bas Kervel, manager of environmental services for Menno Place, a British Columbia-based organization providing housing and long-term healthcare for 700 senior residents, was seeking proactive solutions for environmental health during the pandemic, he turned to Lorry Prokopich of Sterasure in Kitchener, Ontario, to research what technologies were available. Once Prokopich showed him the NCC™ technology of CASPR Technologies, for which Sterasure is a licensed distributor, Kervel was sold.

Since its founding in 2016, CASPR (Continuous Air & Surface Pathogen Reduction) Technologies has been a leader in smart environmental indoor technology for healthcare and other spaces. The company’s solutions work to ensure the air we breathe is the safest it can be, adding to our well-being and enhancing our performance in the process. Its award-winning, patent-pending NCC™ technology proactively and continuously disinfects indoor air and surfaces at the molecular level. CASPR has been proven to destroy 99.96% of pathogens both in the air and on surfaces, with an independent lab-proven continuous disinfection process that recreates what naturally happens outdoors.

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sterasure began installing first CASPR Compact Units in common areas and then in the rooms of infected patients. Eventually, they augmented that solution by adding CASPR Blu Tiles in all dining rooms, staff rooms and gathering places. As a result, those stand-alone CASPR Compact units could be brought into the rooms of residents who had particular medical fragility or other co-morbidities.

“During the time before our residents could be vaccinated, we wanted to take a proactive stance to protect their health,” explained Menno Place CEO Karen Biggs. “We had done a research study showing that viruses of various types remained in the rooms of deceased residents for days afterward. Once we installed CASPR, they disappeared.”

Kervel can see the real results in the health of Menno Place’s staff and residents. “Even if we find an outbreak of COVID or another virus, those appear to be shorter lived, and they rarely result in transmission elsewhere in our facility. Traditionally we’ve had to deal with periodic occurrences of norovirus and gastroenteritis, but since installing CASPR we haven’t had any of those.”

Menno Place’s 11.5-acre campus includes six buildings, with accommodations for Independent Living, Assisted Living and Complex Care. Staff found that by adding an air and surface disinfection solution in the dining room and other common areas, they mitigated the possibility of their more mobile residents spreading illness between rooms or corridors.

Biggs found some additional benefits beyond the boost to resident health.

“We have really worked through the pandemic to preserve and promote the mental health of our staff and adding the CASPR Blu Tile units to our facility has given our team members the peace of mind to know they are working in the safest environment possible,” she said.

Menno Place found that it could reduce staff absenteeism, minimize sick time and help with more effective room turnover with the installation of the CASPR Blu Tiles, which are made to fit in the place of ordinary acoustic ceiling tiles.

Additionally, the state-of-the-art air disinfection reduced odors throughout the property, which is a common issue for all long-term care facilities.

“We found that CASPR reduced odors almost immediately in rooms such as locker rooms or staff rooms, Biggs said. “Rooms that had mold smells for years became odor-free.”
Sterasure has used success stories such as this to bring CASPR to other long-term care facilities across Canada.

“Our technology was created to serve the medical industry,” said CASPR co-founder and chief inventor Dr. Christophe Suchy. “It is such a logical extension of our technology to share it with the long-term care industry where so many of our most medically fragile loved ones reside.”

CASPR’s award-winning technology is now being used not only in medical environments, but in schools, businesses, residential complexes and even in the transportation industry. Recent independent studies have concluded that the technology provided by CASPR is more than twice as effective as any competing technology.

About CASPR Technologies
CASPR (Continuous Air & Surface Pathogen Reduction) Technologies is a health-tech company on a mission to make the world indoors a better place. As the leader in smart environmental indoor technology, our solutions work to ensure the air we breathe is the healthiest it can be, living out our well-being and enhancing our performance in the process. Our award-winning, patent pending NCC™ technology proactively and continuously disinfects indoor air and surfaces at the molecular level. Our innovative and proprietary products are low-maintenance, completely automated, and do not depend on pathogens “cycling” through filters to be effective. With CASPR: live, breathe, and work with safer air and surfaces around the clock. To learn more, visit www.casprtech.com

Allergies – The Story of Christophe Suchy on Founding CASPR Technologies

Everyone loves a good origin story. Here is CASPR Technologies’. 

Dr. Christophe Suchy is allergic to “just about everything.” Nasal allergies really affected his quality of life, so about 20 years ago, he decided to do something about it. Dr. Suchy used his background in chemistry to invent environmental health technology that not only combated his allergies but eliminated pathogens indoors. CASPR Technologies, the company Dr. Suchy co-founded, offers air and surface disinfection technology that kills up to 99.96% of viruses, bacteria, molds, odors, and other harmful pathogens from indoor air and surfaces. 

CASPR products work in a building’s air ducts or as standalone units that can sit on a tabletop or fit in an acoustical ceiling tile space. CASPR takes ambient moisture from the air and puts it through a proprietary Natural Catalytic Converter™ process that converts that moisture into microscopic molecules of hydrogen peroxide, which are then dispersed throughout the building. The molecules attach to pathogens in the air and on surfaces, disinfecting both in a continuous process.

CASPR differs from other air purification technologies on the market in two important ways: First, the technology cleans air and surfaces continuously, as opposed to a filter, which episodically removes particles from the air; and second, it also protects surfaces from harmful bacteria and viruses. CASPR’s revolutionary technology is the only continuous intervention that delivers effective oxidizing molecules to all surfaces including walls and floors, reducing bioburdens 24/7.

“CASPR technology disinfects air and surfaces, killing harmful viruses including SARS-CoV-2 and bacteria including MRSA, making it perfect for any building in which people gather,” said Dr. Suchy. “We’ve seen incredible success with the products being used in hospital and other medical environments, schools, gyms, retail and restaurants and even transit systems including buses, trains, and ferries.”

With CASPR, Dr. Suchy doesn’t suffer from his nasal allergies anymore. To learn more about CASPR technology and how it can work for you and your business, go to casprtech.com or click here to contact a CASPR representative.  

CASPR Creating Safer Environments in Large Retail Medical Clinics Nationwide

CASPR installed in CVS' nationwide

Since its founding in 2016, CASPR (Continuous Air & Surface Pathogen Reduction) Technologies has been a leader in smart environmental indoor technology for healthcare and other spaces. The company’s solutions work to ensure the air we breathe is the safest it can be, adding to our well-being and enhancing our performance in the process. Its award-winning, patent-pending NCC™ technology proactively and continuously disinfects indoor air and surfaces at the molecular level. 

And while the company’s technology is based on work created for the medical industry, it has applications far beyond healthcare, to locations in retail, commercial real estate, institutions and more. Recently, CASPR has found itself returning to its medical roots in a new way, serving clients in the country’s largest chain of retail medical clinics with a major footprint in the American retail landscape.

CVS Health has installed CASPR technology in all of its more than 1,100 MinuteClinic® locations inside select CVS Pharmacy stores across 35 states and Washington, D.C. CASPR helps keep MinuteClinic safer by reducing harmful bacteria, viruses and other germs in the air and on surfaces. 

CASPR works with the ambient air in your environment to create oxidizing molecules that neutralize pathogens in the air you breathe and on surfaces you touch. The technology was originally developed for use in hospital settings to prevent illnesses from being passed around between staff and patients and has been found to reduce hospital-acquired infections and employee absenteeism. Recently, an independent lab tested CASPR technology against air and surface purification units from two other companies and found that CASPR’s models topped out at a 99% reduction in pathogens compared to its competitors’ 45% reduction.

The models used in MinuteClinic are CASPR Compacts, a plug-and-play solution that does not require any installation. Despite its small footprint, it is still up to 99.96% effective in reducing pathogens. Its silent and continuous operation provides full-size protection in a compact solution. CASPR Compacts sit on a pedestal that spells out what the technology is doing to keep MinuteClinic® patients and providers safer.   

The CASPR Compacts were installed at MinuteClinic by New Hampshire-based Environmental Disinfection Solutions. Ken McCarthy, president of EDS, says he has installed the technology in a wide variety of businesses, ranging from MinuteClinic®, dialysis clinics, hospitals, schools, regional transportation and restaurants. 

“We applaud CVS in taking the lead in providing a safer environment for the customers and employees,” McCarthy said. “Having real-world results makes it easy to be passionate about CASPR’s technology, and how it helps keep our people and indoor spaces safe.”

“With technology rooted in healthcare, our solutions are designed to bring peace of mind that comes with disinfected indoor spaces,” said Dr. Christophe Suchy, CTO and chief inventor at CASPR Technologies. “Being able to help protect MinuteClinic patients is a success story of which we’re really proud.”

Patients come to MinuteClinic for wellness essentials ranging from general physical exams, women’s services and vaccines to specialized care for chronic conditions such as diabetes and sleep apnea. 

Angela Patterson, Chief Nurse Practitioner Officer, MinuteClinic and Vice President, CVS Health, says the providers she has talked to have been enthusiastic about CASPR’s presence in their clinics. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has been tough on everyone over the past two years, and at MinuteClinic, patient and provider safety has always been our highest priority. Our providers are so appreciative knowing their clinic setting is protected by CASPR’s unique technology,” she said. “And our patients can rest easy knowing we are doing everything in our power to keep them healthy.”

For more information on CASPR and our full array of air and surface purification products, go to casprtech.com.