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Indian Pediatr 2020;57: 477 |
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A Low-cost Solution for Retro-fitment of HEPA Filter in
Healthcare Facilities Providing Care to COVID-19 Patients
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Vikas Malhotra
Department of
Otorhinolaryngology, Maulana Azad Medical College and
associated Hospitals, Delhi, India. Email:
[email protected]
Published online: April 11, 2020;
PII:
S0974775591600161
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The whole world is currently facing an unprecedented threat due
to the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The healthcare workers seem to be
particularly at risk from the disease given the high incidence of
infection in healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients.
One
of the major causes of risk to healthcare workers may be the increased
viral load in their environment when treating the patients who release
the viral particles as aerosols [1]. High Efficiency Particulate Air
(HEPA) filters of higher grades are considered to be very effective
(efficiency up to 99% as against N95 masks which are 95% efficient) in
removing air-borne virus particles [2-4]. Ultraviolet light (UV)
sterilization may also afford significant protection against the spread
of the virus [5].
It is known that many healthcare facilities,
especially in low- and middle-income countries, do not have isolation
areas fitted with HEPA filtration. Even if they do, in the face of the
current rapid increase in the numbers of COVID-19 patients requiring
admission, the additional space that needs to be created may not have
proper air management.
In this situation, one alternative may be
to deploy adequate numbers of regular room air-purifiers with HEPA
filters that are commonly used in households for air-pollution,
especially the ones with UV light for sterilizing the passing air
without releasing UV light into the open environment that may risk
exposing the user directly. The United States Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention has acknowledged in-room air cleaners as
alternative technology for increasing room ventilation when this cannot
be achieved by the building’s heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning system [3].
Such air purifiers placed at bed-level
next to the admitted patients may significantly reduce the virus load in
the environment. The air-purifiers may be recommended in high aerosol
generating zones like ICUs, operation theaters, procedure rooms, autopsy
chambers and swab collection or processing stations. Other patient
contact areas like triage areas and CT scan and X-ray units may also be
of benefit. Similar purifiers placed in isolation setups for the
suspected patients too may reduce the possibility of cross infections
from the positive patients.
The use of this low-cost, easily
available, off-the-shelf technology may provide HEPA filtration at COVID
facilities lacking it, in a simple, cost-effective and plug-and-play
manner with zero lag-time, potentially saving lives of frontline
healthcare workers.
Funding: None; Competing interests: None
stated.
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