CategoriesInfection Prevention,  Patient Handling

Makrite N95 Surgical Mask protects Nurses and Doctors

The Vital Importance of Using N95 Masks in the Battle Against Covid-19 and Where to Get Them

For people on the front line in the healthcare battle against Covid-19 and this global pandemic, personal safety is a big concern. While most medical professionals love their job, the virus has brought a different level of fear into the field of medicine.  The Makrite N95 Mask is making a difference.

The Difficulty of Being a Medical Professional During the Coronavirus Pandemic

COVID 19 VirusWhether you are a doctor, nurse, physician assistant, or nurses-aid, being in the medical field during a deadly pandemic is highly stressful. In addition to having concerns over providing the best in medical diagnostics and care, the pandemic puts healthcare workers at high risk for catching the virus. This is one of the most challenging concerns for healthcare workers who are often stressed with excessive work hours, exhaustion, and emotional stressors from caring for the very ill.

In hotspots, the risk of catching the Coronavirus is much higher than in areas where the cases have stabilized. That is why it is essential for people in the healthcare industry to be continuously alert to changes in the virus case levels in their area.

The Best Frontline Protection Against Covid-19

There are several important things that front line healthcare workers can do to significantly reduce their risk of catching the virus. The use of personal protective equipment, also known as PPE and the use of disinfectants and continuous hand washing or sanitizing them, is vital to helping frontline healthcare workers remain safe while at work.

The Surprising Challenges of the Pandemic

Since approximately 40 percent of people who have the virus are asymptomatic, healthcare workers have to be very diligent, not to assume that because someone is not displaying symptoms means they are virus-free. Healthcare workers need to be careful to protect themselves on and off the job and follow all recommended guidelines when they are off work in their personal lives. This should include wearing a face mask and following all social distancing guidelines.

The Importance of Using N95 Masks at Work

makrite n95 surgical maskBecause this Coronavirus is spread through droplets and is now known to be aerosolized, the use of face shields and N95 face masks and coverings while at work are essential tools in frontline defense against the virus.

Unlike cloth face masks, an N95 respirator mask is specially designed to block up to 95% of all, dust, bacteria, and virus air particles. This bacterial filtration makes the Makrite N95 Mask mask a vital tool in the battle of the Coronavirus for frontline healthcare workers because they are exposed to infected and potentially-infected people for many hours a day.

N95 Mask Pandemic Supplies

Before the current Coronavirus pandemic, availability for N95 type respirator face masks was sufficient for the need. These masks are traditionally used in the medical, construction, and industrial industries. However, because the global demand for these masks has skyrocketed since February, the supply has been insufficient to meet the rising demand. Since so many of these masks have been made outside of America, the country has found itself competing for global supplies.

One of the premier N95 respirator mask designs is the 3M 1860 surgical mask. This is the most common N95 respirator used in the medical industry. However, with dwindling supplies available, many medical health facilities have been caught off guard trying to find a comparable replacement.

The good news is the Makrite 9500-N95 is a top of the line NIOSH Certified N95 Respirator that is FDA Cleared for use as a Surgical Mask. The Makrite N95 Mask is is a high-quality replacement for the 3M 1860 (that no one can seem to find anywhere). That means that the Makrite 9500-N95 NIOSH Certified N95 surgical mask is specially designed for use in the medical field to prevent the spread of aerosolized particles that may cause disease and infection, such as the new strain of coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2. Receiving the approval from the FDA for use as a surgical mask means that it is tested for fluid resistance which is important in this era of aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 particles.

N95 Respirator Mask Medical Facility Distribution

SPH Medical B1 In Action - Schools 3In the ongoing battle against the Coronavirus, many hospitals and medical facilities have significant concerns about locating a reliable supplier for medical-grade N95 respirators. Facilities who choose Makrite for their respirators want to ensure they can have continuous access to Makrite 9500-N95 top of the line NIOSH Certified N95 surgical mask supplies directly from a factory distributor.

If you are looking for an authorized distributor for the Makrite N95 Mask NIOSH Certified and FDA cleared as a surgical mask, SPH Medical is a trusted supplier that can ensure a continuous supply for your medical facility. SPH Medical sources its’ supplies directly from the manufacturer. For medical facilities, dental providers, fire, police, and other healthcare providers in need of a smaller medical-grade respirator, SPH is also a supplier for the smaller N95 respirator, the Makrite 9500-N95S that is an excellent replacement for the 3M 1860S which 3M manufactures.

Fit Testing

Which mask is right for your employees?  Not everyone has the same facial morphology so naturally one mask doesn’t really fit all. This is one of the reasons that the small size 9500-N95S was developed. Learn more about Fit Testing from OSHA here.

SPH Medical also is an excellent source for other essential PPE such as Isolation Gowns, 3-ply masks, Nitrile Gloves, hand sanitizer, and single patient use Air Powered lateral transfer pads, slings, and repositioning sheets. For nearly a decade, SPH has been a widely recognized supplier of infection prevention, safety solutions, and PPE to America’s medical facilities.   Please contact SPH Medical to learn more about the Makrite N95 Mask.

CategoriesInfection Prevention

SPH Medical Delivers Makrite N95 Surgical Masks in Time of Need

Makrite N95 Surgical Masks

Amid the current PPE shortage SPH Medical is delivering Makrite N95 Surgical Masks to healthcare facilities. SPH Medical has been working around the clock to support hospitals and frontline caregivers with the essential PPE needed to protect them and keep our healthcare system moving. As COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations surging in Arizona, California, Florida, Texas, and Arkansas, our healthcare supply chains are coming under increased stress to provide Isolation Gowns, 3-ply surgical masks, and NIOSH Certified N95 Masks. Updated Mask mandates at the state level are putting even more pressure on hospital supplies of N95 Masks. These items above are just a few of the essential items that are in high demand. Other supply items that are in demand are Nitrile Gloves, Bouffant caps, Surgeon Caps, Face Shields, Coveralls, digital thermometers, COVID Test kits, and more. Many hospitals are predicting an “anticipated shortage” in their supply during the summer and fall months. SPH Medical is solving this problem by working directly with manufacturing partners to increase production capacity and deliver products quickly and in large volumes to hospitals and healthcare facilities across the country.

With COVID-19 occupying the majority of our healthcare system’s resources at the moment it is hard to imagine that the flu season is right around the corner. SPH Medical is here to help protect our frontline caregivers and to always “Reduce Risks and Improve Patient Outcomes”.

Contact SPH Medical for Essential NIOSH N95 Masks

Please contact SPH Medical today to discuss your specific needs and we will help deliver the essential NIOSH N95 Masks and any other PPE needed to help our nurses.
With the COVID pandemic continuing to create increased demand for authentic NIOSH N95 masks there are many brokers and middle men attempting to capitalize on this shortage and essential need by our nurses. You may have even been approached by the spot by sellers claiming to have warehouses full of 3M products or even Makrite masks. And then you were probably led through a series of people referring you to other people signing NDA’s and LOI’s just to find out there really wasn’t anything here in the US! This can be more than frustrating.

In addition, counterfeit products are being manufactured around the globe in foreign countries and are being landed here in the US and are being sold at exorbitantly high prices. Most hospitals don’t have the time to waste researching the chain of ownership for the PPE that they desperately needed yesterday!

SPH Medical is helping to solve this problem by providing a trusted source for the purchase of NIOSH Approved Makrite N95 masks, and other COVID essential PPE. We work with manufacturers directly.

Makrite and SPH Medical are working hard to expand production and distribution of the NIOSH Approved 9500-N95 Surgical Mask. Today Makrite operates 4 factories that service North America and the global community. As an authorized distributor for Makrite, SPH Medical has direct communication with Makrite and receives product directly from the factory. This direct connection ensures that only authentic model 9500-N95 masks are delivered to SPH Medical customers.

About SPH Medical, Inc:

SPH Medical is a leading provider of Safe Patient Handling solutions to healthcare facilities across the US. Safe Patient Handling is the practice of reducing risks to patients and caregiving staff in all environments including hospitals, nursing homes, surgery centers, and even home care. As an educational based company SPH Medical offers the knowledge, expertise, and support to help our clients reduce risks throughout their facility through the products and services we provide.

SPH Medical is an authorized distributor for Makrite Industries delivering Makrite N95 Surgical Masks to healthcare facilities. The Makrite 9500-N95 is a CDC Listed and approved NIOSH N95 Surgical Mask.

CategoriesInfection Prevention

SPH Medical and IPCWell Help Nursing Homes combat COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to change our previously normal routines and business operations there are continued shortages of PPE like N95 Masks, 3Ply Masks, and Isolation Gowns. SPH Medical is actively working with the national N95 project to quickly provide needed masks and PPE to our frontline caregivers including nursing homes.  Collaborating with companies like IPCWell, SPH Medical is breaking down the supply chain barriers to get this essential PPE into nursing homes rapidly where they desperately need it. IPCWell’s CEO, Dr. Buffy Lloyd-Krejci, is leading this charge to protect nurses and patients in Long Term Care and Post Acute facilities. SPH Medical’s President and CEO, Tony Coleman commented that IPCWell brings a passion and energy to infection prevention that matches ours and their vision to immediately and positively affect outcomes in Long Term Care is aligned with our commitment to every healthcare customer. Together we will be the change that this industry needs now.

Dr. Lloyd-Kejci stated that IPCWell has been working diligently to obtain PPE for our vulnerable healthcare settings. We have recently partnered with SPH Medical to secure bulk pricing, regardless of facility size. SPH Medical has available masks, gowns, face shields, hand sanitizer and other supplies that they are distributing rapidly to protect our nurses.

Our caregivers need solutions immediately.  Contact SPH Medical or IPCWell to learn more about our supply chain advantages and PPE sourcing solutions and Infection Prevention Consulting.

IPCWell holds a regular weekly meeting to connect with Nursing Home leaders around the country to discus COVID-19.  Please feel free to reach out to Dr. Lloyd-Kejci and join Thursdays at 3pm EST.  Topics include

  • The CMS infection prevention and control requirements, screening and testing criteria
  • Personal protective equipment updated recommendations and obtaining supplies
  • COVID-19 in your facility
  • Implementing infection control practices for positive COVID-19 residents and staff
  • Preventing the spread of COVID-19 between facilities
  • Environmental cleaning

Join meeting https://lkcip.webex.com/lkcip/j.php?MTID=m92ef628e342f36763887a2654fc64673 Meeting number (access code): 969 586 814 Meeting password: SUPERHERO

About IPCWell

IPCWell is devoted to mitigating infectious diseases and inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in all healthcare settings to reduce adverse events, infections, antibiotic resistance, re-admissions, and death. With human centered design and new technology, healthcare’s rapidly approaching horizon feels very promising, but even the brightest minds, cutting edge innovation, and beautiful new models of care will be rendered ineffective if the fundamentals of infection prevention are not firmly in place.  IPCWell is built of a dynamic team of professionals who share the vision and passion in achieving these goals.

SPH Medical helps healthcare facilities and businesses develop and implement disinfection and infection prevention strategies using the years of experience and expertise gained from disinfecting hospitals and healthcare facilities. We provide Safe Patient Handling solutions and COVID-19 essential PPE to frontline caregivers. Our service team provides on demand COVID-19 disinfection services and are on the front lines testing all available technology to determine practical application and value to our clients.  Our hands on experience disinfecting critical environments allows us to recommend and implement manageable daily, weekly, and monthly protocols that help businesses demonstrate safety and confidence to their customers that the business environment is safe for them to come back to visit.

Newsweek Best in Healthcare-2020 - The UV Box
CategoriesInfection Prevention

SPH Medical UV Box and Disinfection Services – Newsweek’s Best

SPH Medical: UV Box

The UV Box (KR615) Germicidal Enclosure delivers up to 99.995 percent disinfection of MRSA and C. diff and up to 99.999 percent disinfection of the norovirus as well as more than 250 times the energy needed to disinfect the coronavirus, all in just 55 seconds. The UV Box is used to clean cellphones in hospital settings.

Nominated by hospital users, The UV Box has been named a “Best Infection Prevention Product” by Newsweek and The Leapfrog Group. Evaluation of each product based on:

a) Effectiveness
b) Safety (for patients and health care workers)
c) Successful real-world implementation
d) Company stability

Today the UV  Box by SPH Medical is the most effective disinfection device used throughout hospitals, healthcare facilities, and now every business is considering using it.  Yes, hotels, Airports, Ambulance companies, dentists, restaurants, schools, office buildings and more are adding the UV Box to their disinfection strategy.  Why the UV Box?  Here’s what our customers are saying about 55 second disinfection  with the UV Box:

  • Hotel customer:  It’s fast and easy and ensures that all our mobile devices for hotel staff are COVID-19 free.
  • Dentist office: We’re using the UV Box to disinfect masks, phones, and tablets.  It’s an important part of our disinfection plan to protect our patients.
  • Ambulance Company:  We have N95 Masks that need to be rapidly disinfected in addition to hand held radios and cell phones.  The UV Box by SPH Medical is the perfect solution.
  • Hospital Customer:  We implemented the UV Box on every floor of our medical center over a year ago so we were well prepared before COVID-19 hit but today we’re adding them in even more places to provide total coverage in our hospital.  Any visitor to our facility will wash their hands and disinfect their mobile device at the same time.

The UV box has been selected time and time again by leading health systems, small businesses and large to provide rapid validated disinfection up 99.995% in 55 seconds.   ECRI Institute evaluated this category of devices and found that the UV Box was the best value for effectiveness, size, and efficacy.   Please contact us for more information and a copy of the evaluation results and extensive 3rd party testing that validates a high level of rapid disinfection.

More about N95 Mask Disinfection:

As presented on the International Ultraviolet Association (IUVA) website – the ECRI recommends doses over 59mj/cm2 for disinfection of N95 masks using a Countertop UV Disinfection System.
The UV Box’s output of 200mJ/cm2 exceeds both the ECRI and Nebraska Medicine Protocols for disinfection of N95 respirators.

Deep Disinfection of N95 Masks:

Based on The UV Box’s dosage and the large interior size of its chamber, it can be used to disinfect N95 Masks. While the standard, pre-timed cycle of 55 seconds is appropriate for most items, a Deep Disinfection procedure for N95 masks has been introduced. The Deep Disinfection procedure is to run masks through 5 consecutive disinfection cycles (approximately 5 minutes).

SPH Medical helps businesses develop and implement disinfection and infection prevention strategies using the years of experience and expertise gained from disinfecting hospitals and healthcare facilities. Our service team provides on demand COVID-19 disinfection services and are on the front lines testing all available technology to determine practical application and value to our clients.  Our hands on experience disinfecting critical environments allows us to recommend and implement manageable daily, weekly, and monthly protocols that help businesses demonstrate safety and confidence to their customers that the business environment is safe for them to come back to visit.

Please contact SPH Medical now to learn more about the UV Box, our COVID-19 Disinfection Services or any of the technology that we use on a daily basis.

COVID 19 Coronavirus
CategoriesInfection Prevention

EPD Solves COVID-19 Patient Handling Risk in Labor and Delivery

 

The Coronavirus is impacting all levels of our society. It has been extremely challenging for hospitals and clinical staff. COVID-19 is especially affecting patients, doctors and nurses in labor and delivery units. It is also very hard on anesthesiologists in general surgery trying to perform spinal blocks. Even with personal protective equipment (PPE) nurses and doctors are having to practice and maintain safe distance from their patients. There have been instances where patients have contracted COVID-19 from labor and delivery units which is very sad. The epidural positioning device (EPD) is one piece of equipment that is very helpful and can ensure that safety is a priority during these difficult times.

The Dangerous Scenario

Mothers who are expecting and patients in need of a epidural or spinal block must be in a certain Epidural while holding nurseposition so that the anesthesiologist can safely and correctly insert a needle into their spine. During the Coronavirus epidemic this positioning can be dangerous to both the patient and the nurse and medical staff because it is normally a very hands on approach. The scenario looks like this: The patient must be bent over in a “mad cat” position where her back is arched. Many times the nurse will have the patient sit with her feet over the side of her bed and give her a stack of pillows to hold onto while she leans forward. The nurse will then place a stool down for the patient’s feet to rest on. Then, the nurse will secure the stool with her knees and feet to prevent it from moving while she holds onto the patient. The nurse must help ensure that the patient stays in a static position and must help support her body weight during the procedure. This involves a lot of touching and breathing in close proximity. In some cases nurses have been asked to hug the patient to keep them from moving. Even if the nurse and patient are wearing personal protective equipment, it can still be very dangerous. The PPE can move, tear or come off.

How Does an Epidural Positioning Device Help?

The epidural positioning device helps SPH Medical EPD 3improve patient and staff safety. The EPD takes the place of a nurse holding onto a patient in an operating room, pre-op or labor and delivery unit while the anesthesiologist performs the epidural. The use of the device prevents contact with the patient which is not a good practice during the COVID-19 crisis. The device is stand-alone and has a head cushion, chest pad, arm rests and foot plates. It is stable and allows the patient to be secure and safely positioned so the anesthesiologist can inject the epidural.

Two Types of Epidural Positioning Devices

There are two types of epidural positioning devices. There is the original, manual version and the newer, electric epidural positioning device (E-EPD). The E-EPD has a more ergonomic design that is curved and can comfortably position patients up to 600 pounds. It has buttons to push for electric movement of its parts. The head rest and footplate can be adjusted to the correct heights with the push of a button. The wheels can be locked and unlocked electronically. The arm rests and chest pad can also be electronically adjusted.

The E-EPD

During this stressful COVID-19 pandemic doctors, nurses and patients can use all of the safety and comfort they can get. The SPH Medical epidural positioning device is the answer to this challenging situation. The epidural positioning devices actually provide more comfort, stability and safety to expecting mothers requiring epidurals and surgical patients requiring spinal blocks. The EPD provides ideal patient positioning which in turn helps facilitate the anesthesiologist’s needle placement.  The use of an EPD is safer for all because there is much less contact required from nurses.  PPE is important, but it doesn’t remove the risk of manually handling patients.  The EPD is both a COVID-19 essential solution and a long term standard of care that most major hospitals are deploying.

Contact SPH Medical for more information:

COVID 19 Virus
CategoriesInfection Prevention

Effective COVID-19 Disinfection Services

Clean   Disinfect   Protect

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread rapidly and has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO).  In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are advising people to self isolate, practice social distancing, and cover your nose and mouth with masks (N95 Masks) or similar face coverings.  All businesses are being tasked with developing a disinfection plan to ensure a safe environment for staff and customers alike.

covid-19-cdc

According to the CDC, all business and home owners must be aware that disinfecting hard surfaces and high touch areas is critical. Surfaces that are frequently touched such as tables, toilets, doorknobs, supply carts, bed rails, and IV poles have been declared as having the biggest risk factor to transmit these pathogens by contact from the infected patient. The latest studies have proven that less than 50% of the surfaces in hospitals are properly disinfected. Of course COVID-19 disinfection can only properly occur on pre-cleaned surfaces. Once everything has been wiped down to remove dirt, debris, and biofilms, it is essential to use proper evidence based disinfection methods and protocols to ensure a thorough and complete disinfection.

Researchers from Harvard medical school have found that the COVID-19 virus can survive up to four hours on copper, 24 hours on cardboard, about two to three days on plastic and stainless steel. Conditions such as extreme heat or extreme cold may also affect the survival time of the pathogen.

We all know that bacteria and viruses exist in our hospitals and healthcare facilities and it has often been said that when you’re sick, a hospital is the last place you would want to be.  In the past disinfection and terminal cleaning practices  in healthcare facilities were good enough and that was acceptable.  Today that has changed.  Every healthcare facility and business is finding that the new normal and associated CDC guidelines to reopen their business.  Here is a quick excerpt from the CDC website

Cleaning and disinfecting public spaces including your workplace, school, home, and business will require you to:

  • Develop your plan
  • Implement your plan
  • Maintain and revise your plan

SPH Medical provides expertise and support to help businesses develop, implement and maintain their disinfection plan.   Our team has the depth of experience you need to be successful.  Contact us to talk with one of our consultants about developing your plan now.

A brief overview of SPH Medical Disinfection Technology

What is Electrostatic disinfecting?

Disinfecting with Electrostatic Technology is an effective way that completely and uniformly covers target surfaces with a disinfectant.

The spray tip of the SPH Medical Electrostatic spray nozzle is a tiny electrode which applies an electrical charge to the spray. This electrical charging causes a natural force of attraction between the spray droplets and target surface, similar to the attraction between items of clothing created by the tumbling of a clothes dryer. The charge on the droplets is small, but the force pulling the spray towards the target is up to 75 times greater than the force of gravity.  Droplets literally reverse direction and move upwards, against gravity, when passing a target surface.

This remarkable phenomenon by which the spray coats the undersides and the backsides of the spray target is known as electrostatic “wraparound.” In practical terms, this means that spray reaches the underside, the back side, and nooks or crevasses of the target surface.

 

Here you can see our Back pack Sprayer, BP1, being used to disinfect a school.

What does SPH Medical use in our Electrostatic Sprayers to Kill COVID-19?   We have a variety of Disinfectants available to us but often choose to use Noroxycdiff due to it’s 2 Minute Wet Dwell time kill.  The EPA validated disinfectant, Noroxycdiff is an extremely powerful and versatile germicidal disinfectant.  It has been proven to be effective against C. diff spores, Norovirus, and is referenced on the N-List as an approved disinfectant to kill COVID-19.  It is also safe for food service areas and is being used in restaurants and kitchens.

It is approved by the EPA and is being used effectively to destroy COVID-19 in hospitals, schools, office buildings, hotels and more. Noroxycdiff kills up to 99.9999% of pathogens in 2 minutes or less,  requires no rinsing or wiping, and it is a very cost effective way to eliminate viruses, bacteria and many other pathogens.

What are the benefits of Noroxycdiff?

  • Shorter kill time means more effective to destroy it
  • Does not contain bleach
  • Less corrosive to equipment
  • Cost-effective
  • Hospitals use it
  • It can be applied electrostatically and disinfect every little corner that may have a pathogen hiding.
  • No rinsing or wiping once it is applied
  • Eliminates 99.9999% of most germs in 30 seconds.
  • Prevents cross-contamination on most hard surfaces
  • Made in the USA

 

Noroxycdiff is used everywhere to kill pathogens: COVID-19, C. diff, MRSA. It is a broad-spectrum disinfectant that has been approved by the EPA to kill bacterial spores quickly. Noroxycdiff has EPA validated claims for all major classes of pathogens, including mold, fungi, viruses and other bacteria.

It is non-corrosive and therefore much safer than bleach. There is no rinsing or wiping down surfaces afterward. It is cost-effective and easy to use with minimal PPE required.

COVID 19 Coronavirus

Halo Disinfection System – As seen on Good Morning America

When high levels of decontamination are required in enclosed spaces we also use the HaloDisinfection System.  The value of the Halo system is it’s ability to achieve 99.9999% disinfection throughout an entire room.

HaloMist is a 5% Hydrogen Peroxide solution activated by silver that leaves no trace and requires no rinsing or wiping.  The Halo Fogger is the ideal fogging system as it emits a small particle dry fog that is safe for electronics and sensitive equipment.  The halo system is a key part of our disinfection service capability that enables us to address a variety of different environments.

 

 

Rapidly disinfect Phones, Tablets, N95 Masks and PPE

Today, the UV box is used by over 180 hospitals. Hospitals can use the UV Box to disinfect their N95 masks, goggles and more!

UV Box - Phone Disinfection

The UV Box is FDA approved and was tested to kill Norovirus by a 3rd party testing lab. It achieves a 99.995% kill rate against Coronavirus and C. diff spores in 55 seconds. C. diff is confirmed to be one of the most difficult pathogens to exterminate.

The UV Box is a commercial-grade disinfectant device. It is extremely effective in disinfecting small medical devices including phones, iPad, badges, and many other objects that need immediate disinfecting in 55 seconds.

What are the benefits of the UV Box?

  • Rapid 99.995% disinfection of bacteria and viruses
  • 55 second kill of COVID-19, C. diff and more
  • Disinfect N95 Masks, Goggles and other PPE
  • Proven 4.5 Log kill of C. diff spores
  • Avoids toxic chemicals like bleach
  • Easy to use
  • Effective against many pathogens
  • Affordable

SPH Medical provides Coronavirus Disinfection services and essential PPE needed by our frontline caregivers. Contact SPH MEDICAL for more information about our PPE, COVID-19 disinfection services and Solutions.

Let us know how we can help you disinfect your facility, office, school, restaurant, hospital, nursing home, apartment building and more.

BP2 In Use Coronavirus
CategoriesInfection Prevention

Disinfect and Protect Hard Surfaces from Covid-19

How to Protect Hard Surfaces from Covid-19 CoronaVirus

According to the Los Angeles Times, Deep Cleaners are in high demand ever since the COVID-19 outbreak, cleaning companies have been inundated by calls from schools, businesses, nursing homes, police departments and the like to get a deep cleaning done of their facility.

Partly because of civic responsibility, but just as likely to avoid future liability problems, businesses, schools, nursing homes, grocery stores, pharmacies and the like, (essentially those elements of society who are considered essential and remain open and require some or all of their employees to report to duty unless sick,) want to make sure that a worker who is required by their employer to work during this time doesn’t go to work, contract Coronavirus, and then turn around and sue the business because they failed to protect their customers or their employees.

covid-19 virus

What kind of deep cleaning?

One of the questions that business owners are asking is what level of staff protection, and disinfection will most protect them from COVID-19 and give their employees and customers the confidence to work on a daily basis. The next question is what will businesses have to do going forward to ensure that their workplace is safe on a continual basis?

Here, the CDC guidelines are not of much use. While the CDC guidelines talk about wiping down surfaces, using soap, water and bleach and the like, as the LA Times article previously mentioned made clear, there is no official government regulation defining what deep cleaning means.

One thing a business must do, and this is heart of this article, is to follow the CDC’s guidance that you clean with an EPA registered disinfectant.

There are 351 EPA approved chemicals to disinfect against the Corona germs, and one of the most effective disinfectants available on the market today is Noroxycdiff offered by SPH Medical,

SPH Medical uses a three step process that goes beyond CDC recommendations including using EPA validated Disinfectants, and that includes using an antimicrobial surface protectant that provides extended protection against pathogens.

The three steps you need to know are  1) Clean 2) Disinfect and 3) Protect. We clean everything first. By definition only pre-cleaned surfaces can be disinfected.  Then we disinfect with EPA approved disinfectants like Noroxycdiff which is also safe for food service areas (important for restaurants).  Lastly we go beyond CDC guidelines by spraying Penetrexx Antimicrobial treatment that provides extended bacteriostatic protection against pathogens.

Noroxycdiff Infection Prevention

What is Noroxycdiff and how does SPH Medical use it to deep clean?

Noroxycdiff is a chemical that has been EPA approved for antiseptic procedures SPH Then, for step three, we use Penetrexx. Penetrexx is an EPA registered anti-germ and Antimicrobial cleaner which is used by many hospitals. It is tough on germs and the antimicrobial properties keep germs and bacteria from regenerating. This provides the residual/lasting killing effect and is effective against viruses, bacteria and more.

SPH Medical Penetrexx provides 30 days of protection

Depending upon availability, SPH Medical uses either Noroxycdiff or HaloMist in their total area disinfection services. Both Noroxycdiff and
HaloMist have EPA kill validations on pathogens much more difficult to kill than COVID-19. Each disinfectant has its advantages which are discussed with every client to optimize every unique area being disinfected.

How do we apply these chemicals?

At SPH Medical we use the latest electrostatic spraying technology to ensure an even and total coverage with the disinfectant. For more critical environments we deploy the Altapure AP4 or R.E.D fogging system to ensure a total kill of pathogens.

Both methods are extremely functional as compared to the standard spray and wipe techniques used by other cleaning companies.

As the pandemic virus has shown to last on surfaces for several days at a time, merely wiping and cleaning doorknobs and other surfaces with bleach, not only just spreads germs around, but it misses many surfaces which our fogging methods do not.

Electrostatic sprayers emit a fine charge that makes the biostatic cleaning solution stick to surfaces, while with the R.E.D portable fogging system, a fine mist is sprayed throughout the room which attaches itself to many surfaces never even touched by traditional spray and wipe services.

How long does it take before our employees can re-occupy their workspace?

Using electrostatic sprayers and our disinfectant solutions not only can SPH Medical finish faster, but employees can re-occupy their workspace quickly.

You and your employees simple vacate, we put on hazmat suits and spray. It typically takes around 10-15 minutes to spray and then another 15 minutes to ensure the chemical has dried. These biostatic chemicals do not interfere with people’s health in any ways so if the spraying is done at night or early in the morning, employees will never know it’s happened till you inform them.

With the Halo fogging method, it does take a little longer, because before fogging we completely seal off every room with plastic to keep the chemical completely in the air until it settles on surfaces.

It not only takes longer for our technicians to seal off each room, but it takes around two hours for each room to be fully “vaccinated” so to speak. So again, we recommend you schedule your spraying or your fogging after work, at night, or on weekends for minimum disruption of your business.

How long does a SPH Medical fogging of spraying last? Under normal circumstances, you can plan on your third step in your infection prevention plan to “Protect” your surfaces using Penetrexx Antimicrobial and achieve extended protection with no need to reapply for 30-90 days.

The bottom line

This pandemic has reached world-wide levels like no other recent pandemics have. Everybody is in a general panic over it, and until levels of the pandemic slow down, most companies, schools, and governmental offices will be on lock-down.

In most of the country, only essential businesses are open, and social distancing is highly recommended. Those businesses that are open want to make their employees feel safe, and companies want to ensure there is no blowback from the pandemic in the form of lawsuits that you did not do your due diligence to protect everybody.

Contact SPH Medical Today ate 1-844-377-4633 ext. 710 to schedule a facility wide COVID-19 disinfection.

UV Box - Phone Disinfection
CategoriesInfection Prevention

The UV box eliminates 99.995% of Coronavirus

The UV box

Social distancing is in place throughout the country to control the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). States such as California and New York have enforced a shelter in place ordinance to ensure the creation of a slower spread of COVID-19. We now need to provide adequate protection for those who continue to battle exposure while caring for their local communities.

The N95 Masks has played a major role in preventing the spread of COVID-19. The demand for this item can be contributed to its dual service in the public and professional arena. Rightfully so, we are all seeking protection for the same contaminant. This demand has created a shortage in need of a solution. Any effective Personal Protection Equipment available should be immediately provided to hospitals, ambulatory services, law enforcement, and all emergency personnel required to combat the spread of this deadly virus.

covid-19 virus

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT IS KEY

All effective Personal Protective Equipment must now be employed. Not only to offset the shortage of necessary items such as the N95 masks, but the employment of any solution available is the opportunity to save a life today. Every layer of protection will assist in decreasing the number of those affected by this deadly virus.

The next area of concern should be our emergency personnel who must continue to avoid exposure of the coronavirus while on duty. Hospitals top the list of most vulnerable employees to the spread of this easy to contract life-ending virus. There is a shortage of N95 Masks eliminating a public level of protection from this immediate danger. The difficult task of meeting the demand of the N95 Mask has now been addressed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) who have now begun to distribute this item from their reserve to most needed states. The President of the United States has been confronted by local officials requesting him to put in place the Defense Production Act which would spark the manufacturing of Personal Protection Equipment to offset the shortage. Governor Cuomo of New York has weighed in by sharing details of a scenario that included the rise of prices as states attempt to secure the much needed N95 Mask. Until that time when officials decide their method of meeting national coverage for an emergency that threatens the life of all and leaves none unaffected, the AUVS SPHKR615L The UV Box provides safety to the most crucial components of our solutions, emergency personnel. With the highest percentage of protection, 99.995% elimination of contaminants on cellphones, tablets, and small medical devices, the UV Box creates sanitary coverage for items needed not only for immediate assistance but survival.

ADDITIONAL TYPES OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT NEEDED

Although mask-wearing is not a priority at home, hand washing at home and on the job are mandatory. The one thing we all have in common is our cellphone and tablets. We handle these items constantly and should consider options to ensure they are clear of the virus as well. An item in need of spotlighting would be the UV Box. This equipment protects from the virus by eliminating contaminants from cellphones, tablets, and small medical devices. Electronics are an extension of our hands. We are living in an era where these items are subject to as much exposure as we are. This box can be operated emergency personnel in addition to public visitors arriving at these areas for service.

Consider the cleaning of hands in medical facilities and the use of an electronic device immediately thereafter. Cleaning of counters, doorknobs, and switchboards are necessary. Yet, without complete elimination of virus particles still present on all the elements we constantly touch, other methods can prove ineffective. Just wiping cellphones, tablets, or medical devices with alcohol or Clorox based solutions will not ensure complete elimination of virus presence. A unit offering UV light technology gives assurance of 99.995% decontamination within 60 seconds.

SAFETY FOR EMERGENCY PERSONNEL NECESSARY

While regrouping to secure the main items needed, such as the N95 mask, putting in place just as effective methods can permanently sustain a clean environment. Until such time as production increases for similarly needed protection, other items eliminating virus exposure should be considered. AUVS KR615 The UV Box is a small and affordable method to equip hand washing stations for staff and patients. It is movable and can be carted to new locations when necessary. Durability tops the list as this item has the lifespan of 50 years when cared for appropriately.

For emergency personnel to prove effective, all equipment needed to ensure their safety should be a top priority. Unfortunately, AUVS KR615 The UV Box is not immune to high demand. Consideration of these items should include a purchase time table which can precede the increase in present cost. For life-saving protection offered, the UV Box should gain immediate, national employment with an increase in manufacturing levels enforced. All lives depend upon these necessities.

SPH Medical is a key supplier of N95 Masks and critical COVID-19 PPE to Healthcare facilities to protect our frontline caregivers so that patient care can continue safely. Contact SPH Medical to let us know how we can be of help to your hospital or healthcare system in any way.

CategoriesPatient Handling

N95 Masks Goggles Isolation Gowns and Essential Supplies

With the COVID-19 virus spreading throughout the community there is continued pressure on our healthcare system, nurses, caregivers and first responders to address the infected patients and protect themselves at the same time.

SPH Medical is meeting the needs of the healthcare community during this time of short supply and high demand by providing essential supplies to protect our healthcare workers and patients alike.

Recent stories in the press have surfaced regarding hospitals being charged exorbitant amounts for N95 masks. We’ve solved this problem by working with an approved FDA manufacturer to deliver N95 masks in bulk to health systems and facilities.

With a daily manufacturing capability of 500,000 masks we are helping meet the supply demand that has been previously unaddressed.

Contact SPH Medical to get more information about critical supplies, disinfectants and residual surface protectants to reduce the risk of cross contamination and spread of Coronavirus.

Explore using the AUVS UV Box to disinfect N95 masks, goggles, phones, tablets and other small medical devices.

Utilize our two step disinfect and protect methodology and COVID-19 disinfection services to make your environment safe for patients, employees, customers, and family members.

Implement the Halo Fogger or Electrostatic sprayers to thoroughly disinfect your living and workspace.

SPH Medical is here to protect you now when it counts!

SPH Medical N95 Masks and Supplies 2020

Disinfect Phones Tablets and Masks with The UV Box
CategoriesInfection Prevention

Coronavirus and 99.995% disinfection with the UV Box

Coronavirus and the SPH Medical UV Box

South Hill, VA – March 16, 2020 – With the global alarm surrounding Coronavirus COVID-19, Advanced Ultra-Violet Systems’ (AUVS) has asked Dr. Wayne Clark for his professional opinion on the AUVS KR615 Germicidal Enclosure’s ability to treat COVID-19 on mobile devices including phone and tablets. Such devices have been proven to be highly contaminated but are often left unaddressed when hand washing protocols are discussed.

Dr. Clark is a one the nation’s leading experts on UV energy for antimicrobial applications. A Ph.D. in electrical engineering with specialization in controlled nuclear fusion and plasma physics research, Dr. Clark holds 18 patents and has authored more than 25 published technical articles. His patented Photon Trap Technology is currently protecting the US Pentagon against bio-terrorism and has been put in service at leading medical facilities across the US through the KR615 Germicidal Enclosure, widely known as “The UV Box”.

According to Dr. Wayne Clark, PhD, The AUVS UV Box’s ability to disinfect COVID-19 on mobile devices would be at least as high as the rates it achieved against C.diff and MRSA, specifically up to a 99.995% or 4.5 log disinfection rate. Dr. Clark stated that the susceptibility of COVID-19 to 254 nm UV, as used in The UV Box, should be close to that of SARS, which is a similar coronavirus.

Tests on the SARS coronavirus show that it is very easily killed by 254 nm germicidal UV, explained Dr. Clark. He cited data published by Wladyslaw J. Kowalski in 2015 (Aerobiological Engineering Technical Report, 25 November 2015) indicating that the dose required for 1 log deactivation of SARS is about 7 J/M2, which translates to 0.7 mJ/cm2. Dr. Clark points out this is a very low dose.

By comparison, the KR615 produces a dose of approximately 200 mJ/cm2 in a 55 sec disinfection cycle. This is 286 times the dose of 0.7 mJ/cm2 required for 1 log or 90% deactivation of SARS. Rather than thinking about 286 logs of disinfection, explains Dr. Clark, suffice it to say that the disinfection level would be very high. The disinfection levels for COVID-19 with the KR615 should be at least as high as those that we have achieved for C. diff and MRSA, namely up to 99.995% or more than 4 logs.

Urgently Used by More Than 180 Hospitals and Hospital Groups

The testing of The UV Box against C. Diff and MRSA, referred to by Dr. Clark, were done by an independent FDA consulting lab. Testing on Norovirus with the UV Box was conducted by a lab specializing in viruses and yielded a 5.25 log reduction rate or 99.999%.

The KR615 is currently being used by more than 180 hospitals and hospital groups to fight infections. The enclosure was developed specifically to target handheld devices such as smartphones and tablets that move freely in, around and through healthcare environments putting clinicians, patients, visitors and the general public at risk.

The rise of smartphone and tablet usage, in hospitals, restaurants, food processing facilities and throughout the business and manufacturing world–along with studies confirming exceedingly high contamination levels on these devices–has made The UV Box a vital, first-line of defense and integral part of Hand Hygiene initiatives.

Safe for All Handheld Devices

The UV Box is lauded for its ease of use, durability and speed – disinfecting multiple devices in just 55 seconds with the push of a single button.

Adding to its appeal is the fact that it represents zero threat to handheld devices such as smart phones and tablets. On March 5, 2020 Spectralink, a leading mobile communication solutions provider working in the Healthcare, Retail, Manufacturing and Hospitality industries, approved The UV Box for disinfection of its leading Versity product line.

Learn more about how facilities are using the UV Box to disinfect N95 Masks, mobile devices and more. The CDC discusses UV Disinfection and the benefits and limitations.  The UV Box germicidal enclosure provides 360 degree with close proximity UV light reaching all sides of any object that fits inside for total disinfection and has been tested with 99.995% effectiveness against bacterial spores! Contact SPH Medical for more information info@sphmedical.com.

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