(HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA, April 1, 2020) – As medical professionals at hospitals across the country fight to save victims of COVID-19, they struggling with limited supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) and ensuring their facilities are free from the virus. Purfresh announced today that it is repurposing one of its products to support hospitals in providing doctors and nurses with the protection and safety they need.
“Doctors and nurses using masks and gloves on patient after patient threatens their safety and their ability to provide the care victims of this horrible pandemic need,” said Christian DeBlasio, President and CEO. “We can deploy our ozone systems quickly and efficiently to alleviate some of the PPE supply issues at our nation’s medical facilities, as well as ensure the safety of the facilities themselves.”
Normally used to reduce decay and pathogens, control ripening and enhance food safety for fruits and vegetables transported around the world, Prufresh’s ozone technology has been proven to reduce the risks associated with bacteria, pathogens and viruses like the Covid-19 coronavirus. It has been approved for use by the FDA, USDA, and EPA and the company has applied for FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for use with hospital equipment. The EUA helps strengthen the nation’s public health protections by giving the FDA Commissioner the authority to allow unapproved medical products, or unapproved uses of approved medical products, in an emergency to diagnose, treat, or prevent serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions.
How the Purfresh System Works
The Purfresh Clean product line includes small cube-shaped boxes and large mobile units, allowing medical facilities to place not only PPE items into the containers, but also other items, including furniture, ventilators, or other potentially contaminated items. Ozone is a scientifically proven organic molecule which has been used for decades to quickly destroy germs like cold and flu viruses, harmful bacteria, molds and other pathogens. Purfresh’s ozone generators can be used to disinfect an enclosed area of potential viral contamination, both in the air and on affected surfaces.
Anywhere that air can reach, ozone can reach, and will destroy viruses on contact. The ozone is distributed via fan-generated airflow into the application area and, depending on ozone concentration, can deactivate a virus in as little as 90 minutes. A unit mounts into an existing evaporator fan access panel and can be operational in as little as 30 minutes; containers can be delivered to medical facilities or hospitals in as little as 24 hours.
Ozone has the advantage over other disinfectants in that it is a gas, so that it can permeate all areas of a room, and deactivate the hardest to reach areas, including the ventilation system. Ozone can also disinfect aerosols suspended in the air and decomposes to oxygen, so it is residue free.
“This crisis has created a much more urgent application of our product and we can scale up quickly to support medical facilities around the world,” said DeBlasio. “Purfresh has the technology, we’re ready to deploy it and we want to help so that the heroes on the frontlines of this pandemic, our medical professionals, can stay safe and focus on what they need to do – save lives.”