Ultraviolet-C Irradiation, Heat, and Storage as Potential Methods of Inactivating SARS-CoV-2 and Bacterial Pathogens on Filtering Facepiece Respirators.

The arrival of SARS-CoV-2 to Aotearoa/New Zealand in February 2020 triggered a massive response at multiple levels. Procurement and sustainability of medical supplies to hospitals and clinics during the then upcoming COVID-19 pandemic was one of the top priorities. Continuing access to new personal protective equipment (PPE) was not guaranteed; thus, disinfecting and reusing PPE was considered as a potential alternative. Here, we describe part of a local program intended to test and implement a system to disinfect PPE for potential reuse in New Zealand. We used filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) coupons inoculated with SARS-CoV-2 or clinically relevant multidrug-resistant pathogens (Acinetobacter baumannii Ab5075, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus USA300 LAC and cystic-fibrosis isolate Pseudomonas aeruginosa LESB58), to evaluate the potential use of ultraviolet-C germicidal irradiation (UV-C) or dry heat treatment to disinfect PPE. An applied UV-C dose of 1000 mJ/cm2 was sufficient to completely inactivate high doses of SARS-CoV-2; however, irregularities in the FFR coupons hindered the efficacy of UV-C to fully inactivate the virus, even at higher UV-C doses (2000 mJ/cm2). Conversely, incubating contaminated FFR coupons at 65 °C for 30 min or 70 °C for 15 min, was sufficient to block SARS-CoV-2 replication, even in the presence of mucin or a soil load (mimicking salivary or respiratory secretions, respectively). Dry heat (90 min at 75 °C to 80 °C) effectively killed 106 planktonic bacteria; however, even extending the incubation time up to two hours at 80 °C did not completely kill bacteria when grown in colony biofilms. Importantly, we also showed that FFR material can harbor replication-competent SARS-CoV-2 for up to 35 days at room temperature in the presence of a soil load. We are currently using these findings to optimize and establish a robust process for decontaminating, reusing, and reducing wastage of PPE in New Zealand.

Letter to the Editor Response: Exploring COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Stakeholders in African American and Latinx Communities in the Deep South Through the Lens of the Health Belief Model.

The purpose of this submission to respond to a Letter to the Editor recently submitted regarding our manuscript, "Exploring COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Stakeholders in African American and Latinx Communities in the Deep South through the Lens of the Health Belief Model" published in the American Journal of Health Promotion in February, 2022. The manuscript reported on a study that had as its purpose to qualitatively explore perceptions related to COVID-19 vaccination intention among African American and Latinx participants and suggest potential intervention strategies.

Hydrothermal deconstruction of single-use personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To minimise the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, there has been a substantial increase in the production and usage of synthetic personal protective equipment (PPE) globally. Consequently, single-use PPE have been widely adopted without appropriate regulations for their disposal, leading to extensive environmental contamination worldwide. This study investigates the non-catalytic hydrothermal deconstruction of different PPE items, including isolation gowns, gloves, goggles, face shields, surgical masks, and filtering-facepiece respirators. The selected PPE items were subjected to hydrothermal deconstruction for 90 min in the presence of 30-bar initial oxygen pressure, at temperatures ranging between 250 °C and 350 °C. The solid content in form of total suspended solids (TSS) was reduced up to 97.6%. The total chemical oxygen demand (tCOD) and soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) decreased with increasing deconstruction temperature, and at 350 °C the lowest tCOD and sCOD content of 546.6 mg/L and 470 mg/L, respectively, was achieved. Short-chained volatile fatty acids were produced after 90 min of deconstruction, predominantly acetic acid at concentrations up to 8974 mg/L. Ammonia nitrogen content (NH3-N) of up to 542.6 mg/L was also detected. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and unreacted oxygen (O2) were the main gaseous by-products at up to 15.6% (w/w) and 88.7% (w/w), respectively. The findings suggest that non-catalytic hydrothermal deconstruction is a viable option to process and manage PPE waste.

Deconstruction and Valorisation of a Mixture of Personal Protective Equipment using Hydrothermal Processing

This study used non-catalytic hydrothermal deconstruction to examine the deconstruction of a mixture of numerous PPE items, including isolation gowns, gloves, goggles, face shields, surgical masks, and filtering-facepiece respirators. A mixture of PPE items was subjected to hydrothermal deconstruction at temperatures varying between 250 °C and 350 °C and reaction times of 90 min and 180 min, respectively. A reduction of up to 95 % was attained in the total suspended solids (TSS). The total chemical oxygen demand (tCOD) and soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) decreased dramatically to 703 mg/L and 480 mg/L, respectively. Volatile fatty acids, mainly acetic acid and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) were the primary end products with a concentration of up to 15,625 mg/L and 38 mg/L after 180 min of deconstruction, respectively. Carbon dioxide and oxygen were found to be the primary gaseous product, with a concentration of up to 14 % (w/w) for CO2 and 76 % (w/w) for O2. Further experiments were conducted at 300 °C and 350 °C to reuse process water for five cycles to demonstrate the feasibility of process water recycling. The results propose that non-catalytic hydrothermal deconstruction may potentially reduce PPE waste by minimising solid waste and water usage.

Hydrothermal deconstruction of single-use personal protective equipment: process design and economic performance.

Increased demand for single-use personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a marked increase in the amount of PPE waste and associated environmental pollution. Developing efficient and environmentally safe technologies to manage and dispose of this PPE waste stream is imperative. We designed and evaluated a hydrothermal deconstruction technology to reduce PPE waste by up to 99% in weight. Hydrothermal deconstruction of single-use PPE waste was modelled using experimental data in Aspen Plus. Techno-economic and sensitivity analyses were conducted, and the results showed that plant scale, plant lifetime, discount rate, and labour costs were the key factors affecting overall processing costs. For a 200 kg/batch plant under optimal conditions, the cost of processing PPE waste was found to be 10 NZD/kg (6 USD/kg), which is comparable to the conventional practice of autoclaving followed by landfilling. The potential environmental impacts of this process were found to be negligible; meanwhile, this practice significantly reduced the use of limited landfill space.

Antimicrobial polymeric composites for high-touch surfaces in healthcare applications.

Antimicrobial polymer composites have long been utilized in the healthcare field as part of the first line of defense. These composites are desirable in that they pose a minimal risk of developing contagions with antibiotic resistance. For this reason, the field of antimicrobial composites has seen steady growth over recent years and is becoming increasingly important during the current COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, we first review the need of the antimicrobial polymers in high tough surfaces, the antimicrobial mechanism, and then the recent advances in the development of antimicrobial polymer composite including the utilization of intrinsic antimicrobial polymers, the addition of antimicrobial additives, and new exploration of surface patterning. While there are many established and developing methods of imbuing a material with antimicrobial activity, there currently is no standard quantification method for these properties leading to difficulty comparing the efficacy of these materials within the literature. A discussion of the common antimicrobial characterization methods is provided along with highlights on the need of a standardized quantification of antiviral and antibacterial properties in testing to allow ease of comparison between generated libraries and to facilitate proper screening. We also discuss and comment on the current trends of the development of antimicrobial polymer composites with long-lasting and specific antimicrobial activities, nontoxic properties, and environmental friendliness against a broad-spectrum of microbes.

Exploring COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Stakeholders in African American and Latinx Communities in the Deep South Through the Lens of the Health Belief Model.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore perceptions related to COVID-19 vaccination intention among African American and Latinx participants and suggest intervention strategies. APPROACH: Ninety minute virtual focus groups (N = 8), segmented by county, race and ethnicity were conducted with stakeholders from 3 vulnerable Alabama counties. PARTICIPANTS: Participants (N = 67) were primarily African American and Latinx, at least 19 years, and residents or stakeholders in Jefferson, Mobile, and Dallas counties. SETTING: Focus groups took place virtually over Zoom. METHODS: The semi-structured guide explored perceptions of COVID-19, with an emphasis on barriers and facilitators to vaccine uptake. Focus groups lasted approximately 90 minutes and were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by a team of 3 investigators, according to the guidelines of Thematic Analysis using NVivo 12. To provide guidance in the development of interventions to decrease vaccine hesitancy, we examined how themes fit with the constructs of the Health Belief Model. RESULTS: We found that primary themes driving COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, ordered from most to least discussed, are mistrust, fear, and lack of information. Additionally, interventions to decrease vaccine hesitancy should be multi-modal, community engaged, and provide consistent, comprehensive messages delivered by trusted sources.

Rapid Review of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 Viability, Susceptibility to Treatment, and the Disinfection and Reuse of PPE, Particularly Filtering Facepiece Respirators.

In the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, hospitals are often stretched beyond capacity. There are widespread reports of dwindling supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), particularly N95-type filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs), which are paramount to protect frontline medical/nursing staff, and to minimize further spread of the virus. We carried out a rapid review to summarize the existing literature on the viability of SARS-CoV-2, the efficacy of key potential disinfection procedures against the virus (specifically ultraviolet light and heat), and the impact of these procedures on FFR performance, material integrity, and/or fit. In light of the recent discovery of SARS-CoV-2 and limited associated research, our review also focused on the closely related SARS-CoV-1. We propose a possible whole-of-PPE disinfection solution for potential reuse that could be rapidly instituted in many health care settings, without significant investments in equipment.