Sanitization News and Research

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A new communication concept to detect virus-laden particles

How long do virus-laden particles persist in an elevator after a person infected with COVID-19 leaves? And is there a way to detect those particles? A group of electrical engineers and computer scientists at KAUST set out to answer these questions using mathematical fluid dynamics equations.

24 Jun 2021

New transparent material can capture respiratory droplets effectively from air

Although plexiglass barriers are seemingly everywhere these days -- between grocery store lanes, around restaurant tables and towering above office cubicles -- they are an imperfect solution to blocking virus transmission.

17 Jun 2021

Study reports self-disinfecting polymer surfaces that can inactivate SARS-CoV-2

Surfaces with anionic block copolymers can inactivate different viruses within minutes by making the polymer-microbe interface very acidic. Such surfaces can continuously disinfect surfaces without the need for reapplication of disinfectant.

14 Jun 2021

Masks and physical distancing could reduce SARS-CoV-2 spread to 1% among essential food plant workers, says study

The food supply is an essential service. Yet, workers in this industry are at high risk of acquiring infection with the novel coronavirus in their workplace unless proper mitigation measures are put in place. A new study, released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, shows that the risk of infection may be reduced to less than 1% with proper precautions.

21 May 2021

Advantech Unveils High-Performance, Medical-Grade POC-6 Terminals for Diverse Healthcare Applications

Advantech, a leading provider of industrial computing solutions, is pleased to announce its POC-6 series of medical-grade point-of-care (POC) terminals aimed at diverse healthcare applications.

From Advantech 12 May 2021

Touching contaminated surfaces can transfer SARS-CoV-2 to skin, finds study

Using artificial skin, researchers found that touching surfaces contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 can lead to transfer of virus to the skin.

29 Apr 2021

Cleaning frequency key to limiting SARS-CoV-2 spread at theme parks

A new preprint research paper provides some insights into how this may be done using computational modeling. The study, which appeared on the medRxiv server, deals with the mitigation strategies that must be implemented in order to contain the virus.

22 Apr 2021

Current hygiene guidelines appropriate for UK and SA variants of SARS-CoV-2, study finds

Many different variants and lineages have arisen from the ancestral Wuhan-Hu1 strain of the SARS-CoV-2. This requires careful attention to control measures since many are more infective and transmissible than the older strains. A recent study compares the UK variant of this virus with the wildtype in terms of susceptibility to routine cleaning and disinfection measures.

12 Apr 2021

Are marine mammals are at risk of COVID-19?

Researchers have identified a number of marine mammal species native to Italian seawaters that may be highly susceptible to the disease. Additionally, these species inhabit ocean areas where the virus may be present even after receiving sewage treatment, thus highlighting the need for strict sewage improvement plans.

31 Mar 2021

Researchers conduct aerosol characterization experiments to protect healthcare workers from COVID-19

The rapid spread of COVID-19 overwhelmed hospitals that were unable to contend with the increasing number of patients, many requiring ventilators and other critical care. Such conditions can put medical workers at risk. Now researchers are studying methods to increase hospital safety and efficacy during the pandemic.

24 Nov 2020

Researchers investigate SARS-CoV-2 transmission chain dynamics in the Nordic countries

To date, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has affected over 58.52 million individuals and led to more than 1.38 million deaths worldwide. Second waves of the pandemic are still ongoing in many countries with a massive impact on health care systems and economies.

22 Nov 2020

Compliance in UK with pandemic control measures has decreased, study finds

Scientists at University College London (UCL) surveyed 21,000 adults living in the United Kingdom to gauge the national population’s compliance level. They found that compliance in the UK with pandemic control measures had decreased as the stringency of lockdown measures eased over the course of this year (2020).

17 Nov 2020

Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 among US marine recruits after quarantine: A case study

A team of researchers at the Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, USA, analyzed the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 among marine recruits. Their study titled, “SARS-CoV-2 Transmission among Marine Recruits during Quarantine,” was published in the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

15 Nov 2020

Modeling suggests lower COVID-19 cases in Lombardy's second wave

Researchers found a negative association between the number of excess deaths during the first wave of the epidemic and the number of second-wave cases. This could be because of both a sort of herd immunity and changes in behavioral response.

12 Nov 2020

Scientist develop compact, portable sanitizing device for masks and other items

COVID-19 has significantly increased public use of face masks to protect others from the wearer's respiratory droplets as well as the wearer from airborne contaminants.

10 Nov 2020

Electric multicookers could be used for sanitization of N95 respirator masks

Owners of electric multicookers may be able to add another use to its list of functions, a new study suggests: sanitization of N95 respirator masks.

6 Aug 2020

Advantech launches POC-624 high-performance, medical-grade terminal for diverse healthcare applications

Advantech, a leading provider of industrial computing solutions, is pleased to announce its POC-624 24” medical-grade point-of-care terminal (POC) designed for diverse healthcare applications. Featuring an 8th gen Intel® Core™ i5/i7-8665UE processor, POC-624 is a high-performance, ultra-thin terminal that enables improved operational efficiency in hospitals, clinics, and care homes. Compliant with IEC 60601 safety standards for medical devices, the POC-624 terminal is user friendly and offers a reduced time-to-market with its compliance with relevant healthcare regulations.

From Advantech 16 Jul 2020

Silk useful as face mask and PPE in COVID-19

As many people are resorting to face coverings improvised from common fabrics, researchers from the University of Cincinnati looked to determine what fabrics were the most effective. The team examined the hydrophobicity of fabrics (silk, cotton, polyester), as measured by their resistance to the penetration of small and aerosolized water droplets, an important transmission avenue for the virus causing COVID-19.

30 Jun 2020

Researchers search for SARS-CoV-2 fomites on an operational Italian bus

A new study reports the results of a viral detection study carried out in buses used for public transport across the final week of lockdown, as travel restrictions were being lifted step by step. This study by Italian researchers and published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in June 2020, may help to understand how a virus can spread within a city bus during normal operation and how effective are the measures used to protect against such transmission.

30 Jun 2020

Deep UV LED inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 - fast and effective

The ongoing pandemic has aroused considerable effort to find methods to prevent and control the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19 disease. Rapid inactivation devices would be of great help in this area, to prevent viral transmission through aerosols and contact with infected surfaces.

9 Jun 2020