Chemex Industries, Inc.

Most understanding regarding the contagion of COVID-19 derives from previous human coronaviruses, specifically SARS & MERS. Transmission is mostly the result of inhalation of pathogens expelled from an infected source, often via sneezing or coughing. We have been advised that 6 feet is a safe distance to protect ourselves from contamination. That is because the droplet size has a density that should not project beyond that limit. However, typical speech patterns can produce a...erosolized (smaller) droplets, that remain airborne for hours. Additionally, HVAC can propel them. The case involving the Skagit County choir practice in early March (Washington State), where more than 32 members developed symptoms of COVID-19, validates the concern regarding airborne particles. It known that the measles virus, can remain contagious in the air for up to 2 hours. Viral contamination in air is deemed to be a route of transmission that should receive awareness, along with surface contamination. A paper, recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that infectious SARS-CoV-2 virus can remain in aerosols for at least three hoursand for several days on various surfacesin a laboratory setting. Testing has been performed using laser light scattering to visualize tiny saliva droplets expelled during speech. If one assumes the droplets contain seven million virus particles per milliliter, a minute of loud speech could generate more than 1,000 virus-containing droplets that could hang in the air for eight minutes or more. The practice of dentistry involves the use of rotary dental and surgical instruments, such as handpieces or ultrasonic scalers and air-water syringes. These instruments create a visible spray that can contain particle droplets of water, saliva, blood, microorganisms, and other debris. Surgical masks protect mucous membranes of the mouth and nose from droplet spatter, but they do not provide complete protection against inhalation of airborne infectious agents. Safeguarding your dental office against airborne transmission of infectious agents is now available. The SAM 400 Portable Air Disinfection Device is a quiet 24/7 UV-C air-scrubbing device that is 100% safe for patients and staff. Helps reduce HAIs with a verified 99.9995% UV-C airborne pathogen killing rate for viruses eliminating bacteria, mold, odor, and VOCs. Learn more: https://www.chemexindustries.com/sam-400-portable-air-disin Source: https://www.cdc.gov/corona/2019-ncov//dental-settings.html https://www.scientificamerican.com//how-coronavirus-sprea/ See more

Who should you listen to? We are beyond frustrated with the mixed messages that we are receiving from presumed trusted sources. Issues ranging from whether we should be wearing masks to the infectious levels found on touch points, compared to atomized spray. With the effort to kick off the nation’s economy, we are bound to see COVID-19 cases surge. Now more than ever we need to be observant of the basics: Wash your hands- sanitize often - wear masks in public- social distance... Are your front-line cleaners and renovation workforce, trained effectively? Are they knowledgeable regarding regulatory compliance and industry standards? Recognizing that what gets touched, gets infected, should indicate the areas in your facility that require greatest attention. We are hearing that many individuals are getting into the disinfection business. They are setting up impressive websites and soliciting schools, churches, and industry. Without proper training and certification, this implies a disturbing consequence. Proper training, appropriate equipment and effective chemistry are the essentials, to combat the invisible enemy. We have listed relevant subject matter, that should be fully understood, by your first line of defense or contractor: Is your disinfectant effective against COVID-19? How do you know? What is the active ingredient in your disinfectant? What is the appropriate dwell time, that your disinfectant requires? How safe is your disinfectant on surfaces and the environment? Are you spraying touch points with a fogger/atomizer, or electrostatic sprayer? (Hint EPA does not approve the use foggers/atomizers) What PPE do you use, while on the job? Do you know how to put it on and take it off, without cross contaminating? Can the air be disinfected? How do you validate your disinfecting efforts? Do you utilize microbiological testing? ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) or FM (fluorescent marker)? Once again, cleaning and disinfecting continues to be the front line of protection, for health and safety and ensuring public health. https://www.chemexindustries.com/systemsure-plus-luminomete

With the outside opening up, skin cancer is a huge concern for most Americans. Most skin cancers are caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays. Most of this exposure comes from the sun, but some can come from man-made sources, such as indoor tanning beds and sun lamps. People who get a lot of exposure to UV rays are at greater risk for skin cancer. The main types of UV rays that can affect your skin include UVA rays and UVB rays. UVB rays have more energy and are a... more potent cause of at least some skin cancers, but both UVA and UVB rays can damage skin and cause skin cancer. There are no safe UV rays. References: American Cancer Society American Academy of Dermatology. Sunscreen FAQs. 2018. Accessed at https://www.aad.org//st/prevention-and-care/sunscreen-faqs on May 21, 2019. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Vol. 100D: Solar and Ultraviolet Radiation. 2012. Accessed at: https://monographs.iarc.fr/wp-cont//2018/06/mono100D-6.pdf on May 21, 2019. US Food and Drug Administration. Should You Put Sunscreen on Infants? Not Usually. 2016. Accessed at https://www.fda.gov//should-you-put-sunscreen-infants-not- on May 21, 2019. US Food and Drug Administration. Sunscreen: How to Help Protect Your Skin from the Sun. 2019. Accessed at https://www.fda.gov//sunscreen-how-help-protect-your-skin- on May 21, 2019. US National Toxicology Program (NTP). Report on Carcinogens, Fourteenth Edition: Ultraviolet-Radiation-Related Exposures. 2016. Research Triangle Park, NC: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service. Accessed at https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov//ultravioletradiationrelatedexpo on May 21, 2019.

The CDC and COCA now recommend that dental offices have in place HEPA filtration system with a UV-C component to mitigate aerosols created by dental procedures. SAM 400 delivers the highest air disinfection levels, in cubic feet per minute, for its size. With 3 X the standard concentration of UV-C light for disinfection, HEPA filtration, and 5-micron miles of specially formulated carbon, SAM 400 removes pathogens, particulates, odors, and VOCs -- quickly. Rapid Whole Room Cle...an: Complete disinfection of a standard 800-sq.-ft. room in minutes. Whole-room air exchange after only 20 minutes. No ozone production, no external UV-C exposure, and no VOCs or odors remaining. Do what is best for your patients, staff, and the entire community by investing in a SAM 400! https://www.chemexindustries.com//sam-400-portable-air-dis Graphic courtesy of the CDC, COCA, and presenter Alberto Garcia MS Mechanical Engineer See more

Coronaviruses are large, roughly spherical, particles with bulbous surface projections.The average diameter of the virus particles is around 125 nm (.125 m). The diameter of the envelope is 85 nm and the spikes are 20 nm long. The envelope of the virus in electron micrographs appears as a distinct pair of electron-dense shells (shells that are relatively opaque to the electron beam used to scan the virus particle). https://www.chemexindustries.com/sam-400-portable-air-disin... References: Goldsmith CS, Tatti KM, Ksiazek TG, Rollin PE, Comer JA, Lee WW, et al. (February 2004). "Ultrastructural characterization of SARS coronavirus". Emerging Infectious Diseases. 10 (2): 32026. doi:10.3201/eid1002.030913. PMC 3322934. PMID 15030705. Virions acquired an envelope by budding into the cisternae and formed mostly spherical, sometimes pleomorphic, particles that averaged 78 nm in diameter Neuman BW, Adair BD, Yoshioka C, Quispe JD, Orca G, Kuhn P, et al. (August 2006). "Supramolecular architecture of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus revealed by electron cryomicroscopy". Journal of Virology. 80 (16): 791828. doi:10.1128/JVI.00645-06. PMC 1563832. PMID 16873249. Particle diameters ranged from 50 to 150 nm, excluding the spikes, with mean particle diameters of 82 to 94 nm; Also See Figure 1 for double shell. Fehr AR, Perlman S (2015). "Coronaviruses: an overview of their replication and pathogenesis". In Maier HJ, Bickerton E, Britton P (eds.). Coronaviruses. Methods in Molecular Biology. 1282. Springer. pp. 123. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-2438-7_1. ISBN 978-1-4939-2438-7. PMC 4369385. PMID 25720466. See section: Virion Structure. Graphic by CDC/NIOSH See more

As dental procedures and technologies have evolved, the incidence of aerosol-creating procedures has increased. Inhalation of airborne particles and aerosols produced during dental procedures may cause adverse respiratory health effects and bidirectional disease transmission. Oral healthcare professionals should be aware of these invisible risks within their operatories and follow recommended infection prevention protocols before, during and after patient care. https://www....chemexindustries.com/sam-400-portable-air-disin References: Aerosols in the Dental Office: Best Practices for Patient and Practitioner Safety by Maria L. Geisinger, DDS, MS Harrel SK, Molinari J. Aerosols and splatter in dentistry: a brief review of the literature and infection control implications. J Am Dent Assoc. 2004;135(4):429437. doi:10.14219/jada.archive.2004.0207.

Airborne Particles & Contagion in Dental Practices Most understanding regarding the contagion of COVID-19 derives from previous human coronaviruses, specifically SARS & MERS. Transmission is mostly the result of inhalation of pathogens expelled from an infected source, often via sneezing or coughing. We have been advised that 6 feet is a safe distance to protect ourselves from contamination. That is because the droplet size has a density that should not project beyond that li...mit. However, typical speech patterns can produce aerosolized (smaller) droplets, that remain airborne for hours. Additionally, HVAC can propel them. The case involving the Skagit County choir practice in early March (Washington State), where more than 32 members developed symptoms of COVID-19, validates the concern regarding airborne particles. It known that the measles virus, can remain contagious in the air for up to 2 hours. Viral contamination in air is deemed to be a route of transmission that should receive awareness, along with surface contamination. A paper, recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that infectious SARS-CoV-2 virus can remain in aerosols for at least three hoursand for several days on various surfacesin a laboratory setting. Testing has been performed using laser light scattering to visualize tiny saliva droplets expelled during speech. If one assumes the droplets contain seven million virus particles per milliliter, a minute of loud speech could generate more than 1,000 virus-containing droplets that could hang in the air for eight minutes or more. The practice of dentistry involves the use of rotary dental and surgical instruments, such as handpieces or ultrasonic scalers and air-water syringes. These instruments create a visible spray that can contain particle droplets of water, saliva, blood, microorganisms, and other debris. Surgical masks protect mucous membranes of the mouth and nose from droplet spatter, but they do not provide complete protection against inhalation of airborne infectious agents. Safeguarding your dental office against airborne transmission of infectious agents is now available. The SAM 400 Portable Air Disinfection Device is a quiet 24/7 UV-C air-scrubbing device that is 100% safe for patients and staff. Helps reduce HAIs with a verified 99.9995% UV-C airborne pathogen killing rate for viruses eliminating bacteria, mold, odor, and VOCs. Learn more: https://www.chemexindustries.com/sam-400-portable-air-disin Source: https://www.cdc.gov/corona/2019-ncov//dental-settings.html https://www.scientificamerican.com//how-coronavirus-sprea/ See more

Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is increased in the dental setting due to the close interpersonal contact between individuals involved and by nature of the procedures performed during the delivery of dental care. Potential pathways of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the dental office are outlined below. www.chemexindustries.com References Kampf G, Todt D, Pfaender S, Steinmann E. Persistence of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces and their inactivation with biocidal agents. J Hosp Infe...ct. 2020;104(3):246251. doi:10.1016/j.jhin.2020.01.022. Chen J. Pathogenicity and transmissibility of 2019-nCoV-A quick overview and comparison with other emerging viruses. Microbes Infect. 2020;22(2):6971. doi:10.1016/j.micinf.2020.01.004 Cleveland JL, Gray SK, Harte JA, Robison VA, Moorman AC, Gooch BF. Transmission of blood-borne pathogens in US dental health care settings: 2016 update. J Am Dent Assoc. 2016;147(9):729738. doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2016.03.020. Peng X, Xu X, Li Y, Cheng L, Zhou X, Ren B. Transmission routes of 2019-nCoV and controls in dental practice. Int J Oral Sci. 2020;12(1):9. Published 2020 Mar 3. doi:10.1038/s41368-020-0075-9.

Viral transmission after airborne droplets/particles have settled on surfaces in these environments has also been demonstrated. Furthermore, isolation of several different pathogens capable of aerosol transmission have been noted in the dental offices. https://www.chemexindustries.com/sam-400-portable-air-disin References: Bloch AB, Orenstein WA, Ewing WM, et al. Measles outbreak in a pediatric practice: airborne transmission in an office setting. Pediatrics. 1985;75(4):676...683. Prospero E, Savini S, Annino I. Microbial aerosol contamination of dental healthcare workers' faces and other surfaces in dental practice. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2003;24(2):139141. doi:10.1086/502172. Araujo MW, Andreana S. Risk and prevention of transmission of infectious diseases in dentistry. Quintessence Int. 2002;33(5):376382. Harrel SK, Molinari J. Aerosols and splatter in dentistry: a brief review of the literature and infection control implications. J Am Dent Assoc. 2004;135(4):429437. doi:10.14219/jada.archive.2004.0207. See more

Evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted both directly from person-to-person by respiratory droplets and via indirect fomite-mediated transmission.Viral shedding by asymptomatic individuals has been reported during an asymptomatic prodromal period of up to 14 days with the potential for viral shedding up to 24 days. https://www.chemexindustries.com/ References: Wikimedia Commons. 3D medical animation corona virus. Huang C, Wang Y, Li X, et al. Clinical features of... patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China [published correction appears in Lancet. 2020 Jan 30;:]. Lancet. 2020;395(10223):497506. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30183-5. Backer JA, Klinkenberg D, Wallinga J. Incubation period of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infections among travellers from Wuhan, China, 20-28 January 2020. Euro Surveill. 2020;25(5):2000062. doi:10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.5.2000062. Guan WJ, Ni ZY, Hu Y, et al. Clinical Characteristics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in China [published online ahead of print, 2020 Feb 28]. N Engl J Med. 2020;NEJMoa2002032. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2002032. See more

As we prepare to head outdoors, I would like to remind you of the dangers of mosquitoes, that arrive this time of year and last throughout the summer. Diseases spread by mosquitos cause millions of deaths each year. Significant diseases spread by these insects include West Nile virus, dengue, malaria, Zika virus, and Chikungunya virus. The best means of diagnosing West Nile virus infection is Serologic, (plasma from which the clotting proteins have been removed) to detect an...tibodies. West Nile virus is one of the many members of the genus Flavivirus that are known to cause human disease. About 1 in 5 people who are infected develop a fever with other symptoms such as headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash. Most people with this type of West Nile virus disease recover completely, but fatigue and weakness can last for weeks or months. Other serious symptoms in people who are infected develop a severe illness affecting the central nervous system such as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord). No vaccine or specific antiviral treatments for West Nile virus infection are available. Protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites, using an EPA registered insect repellent. Our recommendation is a product containing of 20-25% DEET. Be cautious as you exercise, especially early morning and at dusk. Check your pets for fleas and consult with your vet for best treatment options. Be cautious if you reside or travel to areas know to harbor ticks. The CDC recommends that all residents of and visitors to areas where Zika virus is spreading take additional steps to prevent mosquito bites This is, in fact, a time for us to be more vigilant than ever. As people are coming into closer contact with each other, there is more likelihood for infection. Keep your mask on in public and use a fresh mask, whenever possible. Wash your hands frequently and supplement with alcohol wipes or spray. http://www.chemexindustries.com/

Focus on Air Quality Management in Dental Offices As dental offices re-open, air quality management in your surgical areas, is vital. We know that aerosolized pathogens can persist and remain airborne for hours. Your indoor air quality must be scrutinized and maintained, to protect dental professionals and patients. Your protocol should include a state-of-the-art air scrubber with the effectiveness to ensure a 99.9995% pathogen kill rate. You can now disinfect entire rooms i...n less that 60 minutes. That is why its trusted by hospital infection prevention professionals, facility engineers and EVS professionals. Confirmed removal of viruses and bacteria, mold, airborne odors and VOCS. Continuous scrubbing will maintain up to 99.9995% pathogen efficacy and as much as 70% particulate reduction. The SAM 400 system we are describing, uses HEPA first phase particulate filtration to remove contaminants larger that 0.3 microns. Then pathogens smaller than 0.3 microns are captured and eliminated by SAM’s patented UV-C Air Suspension System long enough for thorough air disinfection. Continuous air scrubbing maintains pathogen efficacy. SAM 400 Scientific Air Management will disinfect large volumes of fast-moving air. Hospital studies available. Put a smile back in your dental practice, along with the security of air quality management. http://www.chemexindustries.com/