Over the past two years, the world has become acutely aware of the importance of PPE and handwashing. These are both great contributors to reducing risk of infection, but when a virus is airborne, how can we close the loop in infection control?
Prof. Daniel Bonn and G. Aernout Somsen, both based in Amsterdam, recently conducted a study1 in an outpatient cardiology unit to test the effectiveness of the Novaerus 800 (NV800) – an air disinfection device from H&R Healthcare.
Patients were subject to a bicycle cardiac stress test, with each patient instructed to keep the cycle speed around 50-60 rounds per minute. The results showed that, without the NV800 device, the cardiac stress test produced a significant amount of potentially dangerous aerosols. However, the NV800 device substantially reduced the amount of aerosol droplets during testing, to levels where they could no longer be detected.
The authors concluded that the system is capable of mitigating the transmission risk of SARS-CoV-2 by aerosols – during cardiac stress testing and possibly other diagnostic and therapeutic procedures – enabling a safe continuation of crucial healthcare services during the COVID19 pandemic. The device has no harmful by-products and is safe to use around patients – including the most vulnerable.
Reference
- Somsen GA, Bonn D (2021) Infection control unit suppresses airborne aerosols during cardiac stress testing in an outpatient cardiology clinic. J Clin Exp Cardiolog. 12: 692
