Rosie Conway, Conways Pharmacy, Ashbourne, Co Meath, pictured with the NV800 she purchased for her pharmacy
Now that the clocks have gone back, we are faced with the prospect of spending even more time breathing ‘indoor air’, which is five times more polluted than outside air.
With increasing awareness of the airborne transmission of viruses including Covid-19, pharmacies and other businesses must go the extra mile to ensure clean, uncontaminated air for their staff and customers.
“In the early stages of the pandemic, the focus was on contact and droplet transmission of the virus, which is why the safety messages were largely around hand-washing, maskwearing and social distancing,” says Killian McGreal of the McGreals Group.
“Those measures are still essential, but we must also pay close attention to the air we are breathing, especially now that winter’s here,” he says. “People can get infected when inhaling viral particles or ‘aerosols’ that float in the air for minutes or even hours. In spaces that are poorly ventilated, this is a big issue.”
The McGreals Group, which includes 11 primary care outlets across the Leinster area, moved quickly to safeguard its air quality at the outset of the crisis. The group installed Irish made Novaerus medical-grade air disinfection devices, which use a patented plasma technology that kills 99.99% of the Ms2 Corona surrogate virus in just 15 minutes. The McGreals Group are now official distributors of the device through Novaerus At McGreals and sell to the healthcare sector, businesses and consumers.
While all businesses continue to ensure hand and surface hygiene, air dis-infection is a way of ‘closing the hygiene loop’ by eliminating airborne transmission. As awareness of aerosols has increased, more pharmacies are turning to Novaerus technology to protect staff and customers – and provide valuable peace of mind.
“I have a duty of care, first of all to my staff to ensure they don’t catch the virus while they are working, and also to protect my customers while they are in the shop,” says Vincent Walsh, who has installed Novaerus devices in his two pharmacies in Celbridge, Co Kildare.
Vincent has also installed Novaerus NV200s in the consultation rooms and reception area of his Celbridge Medical Centre and says the devices help to reassure everyone that safety is the top priority. “Installing clean air technology shows that we are doing everything in our power to keep people safe,” he says.
Virus-killing technology
There are three models in the Novaerus range – the NV200, NV800 and Defend 1050 – all featuring a patented plasma ‘kill’ technology that has been independently tested in more
than 30 laboratories and proven to eliminate 99.99% of MS2 Bacteriophage, the surrogate for SARS-CoV-2.
The portable air dis-infection units can be plugged in and easily moved from room to room, with the smaller models using less energy than a 40-watt light bulb. The devices are easy to operate and low maintenance, with no need for filter replacement.
Novaerus has seen a surge of interest in the devices as, pharmacies, GP’s and other healthcare businesses look to safeguard their air. In Dublin’s Leopardstown Hospital, for example, wards that had Novaerus units installed saw zero outbreaks of MRSA, C.Diff, influenza or Norovirus, while staff sickness rates have fallen by 46% and continue to decline.
“There are valuable additional benefits that come with the Novaerus devices,” says Rosie Conway of Conways pharmacy in Ashbourne, Co Meath, “You are not only protecting customers by eliminating airborne transmission but you are also creating a safe work environment for staff and that ensures business continuity which is so important.
“That in turn makes a positive difference to staff well-being and morale,” she says. “We’ve also found that the devices are a point of interest for customers who ask questions and are pleased to hear about the benefits of the technology.”
As society continues to grapple with the virus, it’s clear that targeted prevention of airborne transmission, along with hygiene and social distancing measures, is one of the ways that we will get back to normal.
“People are the source of this virus and our plasma technology can protect people and their breathable space,” says Deirdre Devitt, CEO of Novaerus At McGreals. “For front facing customer focused businesses, Novaerus air disinfection can close the hygiene ‘loop’ and help accelerate a return to normal activity.”
