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Espoo's infection center has avoided work-related corona infections - air purification has been an essential part of protection strategy since the beginning

Challenge

When corona started to show signs of spreading in Finland, the city of Espoo reorganized its patient care, for example, by transforming a health center in the center of Espoo into an infection center. Since March, patients with corona symptoms such as fever, respiratory symptoms or diarrhea have been directed there.


“Because very little information was available about coronavirus transmission at the time the infection center was established, the goal was to protect front-line staff as effectively as possible by any means that can help,” says the chief physician at the Samaria infection center.

Solution

The infection center introduced a wide range of protective measures, including masks for both staff and patients, protective jackets and other safety equipment, increased cleaning, surface disinfection, keyboard protectors and air purification.

 

The director of health services in Espoo had become acquainted with Genano's air decontamination units designed for hospital use, whose patented technology can be used to remove and eliminate airborne microbes from indoor air. (Read more about VTT's report, which states that Genano technology eliminates viruses and bacteria from indoor air with 99.999% efficacy.)

 

Based on Genano's indoor air experts' measurements, 63 Genano Healthcare air decontamination units were delivered to the facility. Genano provides clean air as a service, and in this case the units were delivered on a total takeover principle to the exam rooms, waiting rooms and staff rest areas.

Results

The wide array of precautionary measures at the infection center has been in consistent use since March. Together with protective equipment, air purification and disinfection, among other measures, the staff of Samaria infection center hasn’t had any work related COVID-19 infections.

 

 

Article is based on an interview with Chief Physician of the Samaria infection center on November 26, 2020