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CCDS - Critical Care Decontamination System - Uses Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor to Decontaminate N95 Respirators, and Other PPE

           

Battelle Memorial Institute's CCDS Critical Care Decontamination System uses a hydrogen peroxide vapor to decontaminate N95 respirators. The organization says that the process takes about 2½ and that masks can be cleaned and reused up to 20 times.Battelle Memorial Institute

nbcnews.com - by Didi Martinez, Brenda Breslauer and Stephanie Gosk - April 14, 2020

Late Monday, the Pentagon announced a $415 million contract to commission 60 decontamination systems that will allow millions of highly protective N95 face masks to be reused.

The system, which can process up to 80,000 masks per day, has been called a potential "game changer" for the front-line health care workers and first responders who rely on the masks, according to hospital officials concerned about a shortage of protective equipment to shield their staff from COVID-19.

But the story of how this system came to be is a testament to what can happen when a doctor and an engineer — who happen to be husband and wife — ask, "What if?"

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“Genius” Doctor Turns One Ventilator Into Nine Using DIY Tips From YouTube Video

In just ten minutes, Gauthier used extra tubing to multiply the number of patients that could be ventilated.

themindunleashed.com - by Elias Marat - March 23, 2020

As health care facilities across the globe continue to grapple with a general shortage of supplies to help them with the devastating coronavirus pandemic, one doctor in Canada has managed to use a bit of creativity, ingenuity, and an idea inspired by YouTube to help future patients.

Dr. Alain Gaithier, an anesthetist at the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital in Ontario, was worried about the possibility that his rural hospital’s one ventilator would hardly be able to carry the load that the CoViD-19 outbreak could entail.

So Gauthier, who has a Ph. D. in respiratory mechanics, borrowed an idea conceived by American doctors Greg Neyman and Charlene Babcock in 2006 to double the capacity of a single ventilator.

(CLICK HERE - READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

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Coronavirus: Deaconess Asks Public to Sew CDC-Compliant Face Masks for Staff

           

Screenshot from a YouTube video on how to make a medical face mask. (Photo: Screen capture from YouTube)

courierpress.com - by Thomas B. Langhorne - March 18, 2020

Citing shortages, Deaconess Health System, including Henderson's Methodist Health, has asked the public to sew face masks for staff fighting coronavirus.

"This does follow CDC protocols that you can find on their website that if all other supplies are not available, that handmade masks that meet certain criteria are acceptable," Deaconess spokeswoman Becca Scott said.

(CLICK HERE - READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

CLICK HERE - CDC - Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of Facemasks

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The New Coronavirus Can Live On Surfaces For 2-3 Days — Here's How To Clean Them

           

When an infected person touches a surface, like a door handle, there's a risk they leave viruses stuck there that can live on for two to three days.  Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

npr.org - by Allison Aubrey - March 14, 2020

How long can the new coronavirus live on a surface, like say, a door handle, after someone infected touches it with dirty fingers? A study out this week finds that the virus can survive on hard surfaces such as plastic and stainless steel for up to 72 hours and on cardboard for up to 24 hours . . .

 . . . And given that wipes are hard to come by at many stores at the moment, you can instead buy an EPA-registered disinfecting spray, such as one on this list from the Center for Biocide Chemistries, recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and by Dr. David Warren, an infectious disease specialist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Or make a bleach-based spray yourself. You can make a DIY cleaning spray by mixing 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water, according to the CDC.

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FACT SHEET: Obama Administration Announces Federal and Private Sector Actions on Scaling Renewable Energy and Storage with Smart Markets

submitted by Gordian Raacke

CLICK HERE - White House Council of Economic Advisors - Incorporating Renewables into the Grid: Expanding Opportunities for Smart Markets and Energy Storage (40 page .PDF report)

whitehouse.gov - June 16, 2016

. . The Administration is announcing new executive actions and 33 state and private sector commitments that will accelerate the grid integration of renewable energy and storage.  Together, these announcements are expected to result in at least 1.3 gigawatts of additional storage procurement or deployment in the next five years. .

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Ecodistricts SUMMIT -- Boston, MA -- Nov. 12-14

Date: 
Tuesday, November 12, 2013 - 09:00 to Thursday, November 14, 2013 - 15:00

Experience EcoDistricts Summit, the premier conference dedicated to promote sustainable neighborhood development.

Each year the EcoDistricts Summit convenes leading municipal policymakers, developers, business leaders, planners, and community leaders – people with decision-making power – to share best practices and shape the growing EcoDistricts marketplace. Take a look behind development and neighborhood revitalization - for this can’t-miss event for leaders who are shaping and building the cities and urban neighborhoods of the future.

Weathering the Storm -- Report of the Grid Resiliency Task Force

In September of 2012, a 131-page comprehensive report was issued by the Grid Resiliency Task Force in Maryland. This task force was created in response to an executive order from Governor O'Malley in July 2012.  The goal was to obtain input and recommendations from experts on how to improve the resiliency and reliability of the Maryland electric distribution system.

The foundational principles that guided the Task Force recommendations included the following:

 The current level of reliability and resiliency during major storms is not acceptable.

 Increased reliability and resiliency during major storms is the goal of the Task Force and will inform the recommendations.

 Severe weather events resulting from climate change are likely to continue to occur. It is unacceptable for anyone involved in response efforts to continue to be surprised by the “worst storm” the system or the State has ever seen. Utilities, government and citizens must be prepared for severe weather events.

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GREEN FESTIVAL - Washington D.C. -- Sept. 21-22

Washington DC will again host this wonderful 2-day convention devoted to building more sustainable communities. Come for all or part -- visit exhibits, listen to great talks and workshops, network with like-minded individuals from the region!  

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

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