Is COVID-19 Changing the Healthcare Industry?
May 20/2020 — New Jersey — COVID-19 will be a defining moment in global history. In a new video, experts from Camfil USA address how the pandemic will change certain aspects of the healthcare industry down to the air we breathe in our hospitals.
Across the board, we’ll undoubtedly be seeing a shift in behaviors and practices. Ordinary people are learning to be more attentive to hygiene and sanitation, and hospitals are having to redistribute resources to fill the gaps.
“Perhaps more than any other industry, the healthcare industry is going to experience the biggest challenges in a post-COVID pandemic world,” says Mark Davidson, Manager of Marketing and Technical Materials at Camfil USA. Camfil has been researching, developing, and distributing air filtration solutions to healthcare facilities and other industries for over fifty years.
Why is Air Filtration So Important During COVID-19?
Many people don’t realize it, but air filtration plays a crucial role in effective medical care. Now, that’s even more true than ever. The highly communicable nature of SARS-CoV2 through respiratory droplets makes efficient air filtration solutions even more important.
Elective surgeries may have been postponed for the duration of the pandemic, but the need for normal hospital and emergency care hasn’t ceased. Babies are still being born, accidents are still occurring, and other illnesses still remain at large. Ineffective air filtration in hospitals puts these non-COVID-19 patients at great risk. “We’re seeing hospitals and networks upgrade from MERV-14A filters to MERV-16A filters in an attempt to reduce infection rates and ultimately save lives,” observes Dave Blackwell, Camfil USA’s Director of Healthcare.
What does MERV mean?
MERV, or Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, is a test standard developed by the ASHRAE 52.2 committee and defines the particle capture efficiency of a filter at its minimum performance level. To label a filter with a MERV value, manufacturers are required to test their filters against the entire standard which evaluates performance on three size ranges of particles. Filter manufacturers should make their testing reports available upon request.
How is COVID-19 Changing Hospital Air Filtration?
At the end of the day, paying a higher initial price for a better product can help hospitals cut costs over time. The costs saved by a quality high-efficiency air-filtration system go beyond energy savings and fewer filter changes. Improved air quality has been linked to better cognitive function, increased productivity, and overall, higher well-being and health.
“Traditionally, we see healthcare networks and hospitals procuring filters based on a commodity mentality,” notes Blackwell, who has over a decade of experience working with air filtration in the healthcare industry. When low first costs are the most important factor in a purchase decision, quality suffers. “In a world after the COVID-19 pandemic, that all changes. This crisis shines a light on the fact that filters shouldn’t be considered commodities.”
About Camfil Clean Air Solutions
For more than half a century, Camfil has been helping people breathe cleaner air. As a leading manufacturer of premium clean air solutions, we provide commercial and industrial systems for air filtration and air pollution control that improve worker and equipment productivity, minimize energy use, and benefit human health and the environment.
Media Contact:
Lynne Laake
Camfil USA Air Filters
T: 888.599.6620
E: Lynne.Laake@camfil.com
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