BUPA expressed interest in PHI/REME active air purification for continuously sanitising the air and surfaces in the common passageways of its UK care homes to provide extra protections against indoor viral emissions to its patients, staff and visitors with a view to minimising and preventing community spread of Norovirus and other pathogens and minimising staff absenteeism thus optimising staff productivity.
BUPA designated its Leominster Care Home (first floor common passageways) as the location for this Case Study. This location is currently fully staffed.
BUPA Leominster first floor comprises 31 patient rooms plus a number of other rooms and 7 corridor areas separated by fire doors which remain open at all times thus creating a single common passageway throughout the entire floor. The ventilation strategy of the building is System 1. Background ventilation is provided via trickle vents on windows. Extraction ventilation is via decentralised extractors. A total of 6 standalone HALO ROVE units and 3 REME ION units were installed at strategic points on the ceilings in the common passageways. These units run 24/7 365 days a year and require virtually no maintenance save for filter cleaning (REME IONs only) every 3 months and cell changing every 2 years.
The HALO ROVE and REME ION units comprise the world leading PHI/REME active air purification technology that is proven to eliminate harmful bacteria and viruses including Norovirus, SARS-CoV-2 and VOCs throughout the indoor environment.
Manufactured by US based RGF Environmental Group Inc, the technology uses no chemicals or harmful substances and works by continuously maintaining similar concentrations of hydrogen peroxide molecules, to those found in the outdoor air.
When coming into contact with microbials and VOCs, the naturally occurring molecules break them down, destroy them and then revert the back to harmless water vapour and oxygen. The air purification technology produces 1 quadrillion of these molecules every second, quickly killing any airborne virus or bacteria, including COVID-19.
The HALO ROVE and REME ION units were installed on 21/22 October 2021. Prior to the installation on 20 Oct 2021, 5 ATP swab locations were identified and a single set of 5 control readings were taken. A second set of 5 ATP swabbings were taken at the same locations on 4 Nov 2021.
ATP measurements showed an average 66.67% reduction in potentially harmful microbial contaminations across the 5 swab locations.
