Infection control
Protecting residents with air steriliser technology
Naeem Walji, principal at clean air service provider 4th Wave Technology, explores the differences between air steriliser technology and standard air purifiers, and explains why the former is needed in order to effectively safeguard against coronavirus and indoor air pollution
With the government recognising air pollution as the biggest environmental threat to health in the UK, the importance of air quality has gained increasing traction over the past few years. However, coronavirus has ultimately pushed the importance of clear air to the forefront, with indoor air pollution and airborne transmission routes having a significant impact on infection numbers. This has seen a surge in investment
in clean air technology in the health and social care sector in an aim to ensure healthcare settings circulate clean, safe air, and to reduce transmission rates. However, the lack of regulation on air filtration systems in the UK means that while technology can appear extremely similar, some devices are far more effective than others. Yet the distinction between air steriliser
technology and other air filtration devices is what will ultimately protect care home residents and staff in the long term.
Clean air within care settings Ensuring that indoor air within care settings is clean is crucial to the health of both residents and staff for a number of reasons. There is not only the ongoing risk associated with indoor air pollution but also the increased risk of airborne disease transmission during the coronavirus pandemic. The harms associated with air pollution
are relatively widely understood, with tackling poor air quality being high on the government’s environmental agenda. Although older people - who on average spend 19-20 hours a day indoors - are seemingly protected from this risk, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the levels of indoor air pollutants can actually be two to five times higher than outdoors, making the quality of air inside a far greater concern to health and wellbeing. Research conducted by various institutes in Europe shows that poor
indoor air quality, even at low levels, has a detrimental effect on respiratory health in older people living in care homes, with frailty increasing with age. Due to exacerbations of chronic diseases and respiratory tract infections, pollution exposure in older people is associated with increased mortality and hospital admissions. This demonstrates the extent to which clean indoor air must be prioritised within care settings. What is more, research carried out by
various institutes in Italy in early 2020 shows that viruses travel further by air because they attach to particles of air pollution, with heavily polluted spaces subsequently having a higher rate of infection. A lack of ventilation and air filtration
within indoor settings therefore stands to create cross contamination and allow for increased airborne disease transmission within care settings. This is an area of concern that is becoming increasingly important during the coronavirus pandemic and in the winter ‘flu season for care home residents, who due to their average age are already at an increased risk of experiencing severe coronavirus symptoms.
The importance of single air pass technology With leading healthcare professionals citing that 90 per cent of the contagion of coronavirus results from airborne infection - and therefore recognising and prioritising the importance of clean indoor air - hospital trusts, GP practices and care providers alike have started to look to air filtration systems as a means of providing safe, clean air to their clientele. These products do so without
compromising on comfort in the way that 44
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com • April 2021
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