RALEIGH, NC — August 6, 2020 — The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) and the N.C. Department of Public Safety’s Division of Emergency Management (NCEM) has distributed approximately 3.5 million cloth face coverings, 4.5 million procedure masks, and significant amounts of additional personal protective equipment (PPE) to targeted settings across the state. The ongoing PPE shipments support operations including schools, nursing homes, first responders, agricultural facilities, child care facilities and courthouses.

“North Carolina has taken aggressive steps to get personal protective equipment in the hands of those who need it,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “Making sure students, teachers, nursing homes and more have what they need to stay safe is a top priority as we battle this pandemic.”

“We’re distributing face coverings and other personal protective equipment in targeted settings to help North Carolinians practice the 3 Ws — Wear, Wait, Wash — and slow the spread of COVID-19,” said NCDHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen.

“It is important that we decisively procure and distribute PPE to support our critical infrastructure and public safety and healthcare partners statewide to ensure that we are maintaining our focus on prevention,” said North Carolina Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry.

NCDHHS and NCEM distribute PPE across many of the state’s targeted COVID-19 response initiatives. In total, the state has already distributed more than 7 million pairs of gloves, 650,000 face shields, 600,000 shoe covers, and 100,000 units of hand sanitizer in addition to 3.5 million cloth face coverings and 4.5 million procedure masks.

In late July, NCDHHS and NCEM completed an initial shipment of PPE and supplies to farms and agricultural operations, including over 900,000 masks. Future PPE shipments will reach farmworkers, farmers, and other agriculture workers in targeted settings such as NC Cooperative Extensions, NC Farmworkers Health Programs, meat packing plants, and community organizations.

Earlier in July, NCDHHS, NCEM and NC National Guard completed an initial PPE shipment to North Carolina’s more than 3,000 state-licensed long-term care facilities and also completed the first shipment of face coverings for visitors to North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts (NCAOC) facilities. Moving forward, NCAOC facilities will receive approximately 300,000 face coverings per month from NCDHHS for public distribution.

Also in July, NCDHHS sent cleaning supplies and PPE including face coverings, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant to each of the state’s approximately 4,200 currently-open child care programs. Child care programs have been open with additional health requirements throughout the pandemic, providing an essential service to other frontline workers.

Since June, NCDHHS, NCEM, and the NC National Guard have been distributing PPE Starter Packs to school nurses and health care staff in anticipation of the upcoming academic year. Initial shipments being delivered to each school include a two-month supply of disposable masks, gowns, thermometers, and face shields. NCDHHS and NCEM has also begun additional PPE projects to support schools, including distribution of five reusable face coverings to each student, teacher, and staff member in North Carolina public schools that will be offering in-person instruction. The state has also provided face coverings to private schools offering in-person instruction.

Additional venues for targeted PPE distribution include NCDHHS-funded no-cost testing sites offered through the Community testing in High-priority And Marginalized Populations (CHAMP) Initiative, where contracted vendors are required to offer face coverings to individuals who present without one.

Posted August 7, 2020

Source: North Carolina Office of the Governor

CANTON, Mass. — August 7, 2020 — With the increase in face covering mandates and concerns over getting and spreading Covid-19, there is a proliferation of masks and face coverings offered to the general public with little proof of their effectiveness.

Ed Goodwin, the founder and product development manager of HipSaver Inc., has always obtained scientific validation for all of his medical textile products. He engaged Nelson Laboratories, a leading, global testing lab specializing in expert advisory and testing solutions for medical device and biologics companies, to test the DermaSaver Sci-Tex Mask construction.

The Viral Filtration Efficacy (VFE) test they conducted showed the DermaSaver Sci-Tex Mask material construction to be an average of 91.8-percent effective in preventing aerosolized virus particles from penetrating through the mask. The virus particles tested are five times smaller than Covid-19 virus particles, implying that the efficacy against preventing Covid-19 virus particles from penetration could be even greater. Nelson Labs full report can be viewed at dermasaver.com.

“We believed our product would be effective based on the known textile science, and now these results from Nelson Labs have proven that to be true,” Goodwin said. “Virus transmission experts agree that exposure duration and dose volume of virus particles are two key factors in overwhelming the immune system. This test result shows a dramatic reduction in the dose volume exposure.”

Consumers who have used the DermaSaver Sci-Tex mask have raved about its light weight and comfort and now they can be assured that they are not sacrificing protection for comfort.

The mask which retails for less than $20, consists of two layers of water resistant (hydrophobic) microfiber polyester that repels airborne droplets unlike hydrophilic cotton. The brushed inside surfaces of the layers mesh together to create an additional barrier.

Additional features include:

• All lightweight fabric construction is totally machine washable and dryable — more than 200 times;
• Nose bridge insert molds to the face to reduces eyeglass fogging;
• Soft stretch ear bands for no abrasive, cutting or hard contact surfaces;
• Adjustable ear bands for a perfect fit and gap-free perimeter seal for maximum protection;
• No latex or chemical finishes;
• Average, petite and children’s sizes available;
• Breathable without using potentially hazardous non-filtered exhalation valves; and
• No filters to buy and replace.

Founded in 1995, HipSaver Inc. is an FDA registered small business and medical textile products manufacturer located in Norwood, Mass. HipSaver designs, develops and manufactures more than 30 unique products including HipSaver hip protectors and DermaSaver skin protection & pressure reduction products. All of HipSaver products are manufactured exclusively in the USA and distributed to nursing homes, hospitals and individuals across the country and globally.

Posted August 7, 2020

Source: HipSaver Inc.

LONDON — August 6, 2020 — BSI, the business improvement company, recently conducted a survey among business leaders in North America to better understand the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on organizations and evaluate their continuity efforts on the road to recovery. This survey is the second in the BSI COVID-19 Pulse Survey series, which is designed to help identify organizational pain points caused by the pandemic and provide support on the journey through the next normal. The key themes explored in the survey included:

• Business continuity preparedness;
• Employee health, safety, and wellbeing;
• Supply chain concerns; and
• Remote work preparedness.

“Our goal with these surveys is to not only gauge the pulse of the business community, but also to see where we can refine our content and efforts to help our clients, and the broader community, reopen and rebuild during this time of unprecedented change, and to provide them a path for future resilience,” said Tim Wren, Americas Commercial Director at BSI. “In fact, around the world BSI has made available essential standards like ISO 22301 (the standard for business continuity management systems), as well as safe working guidance on redefining and reconfiguring the workplace for the next normal.”

Key Findings

• BSI has identified four key phases of the pandemic response: survive, stabilize, rebuild, and resilience. Since the first survey in April 2020, organizations have made significant progress in adjusting to, and preparing for, the next normal, with 60 per cent reporting that they are in the recovery or resilience phase; nearly 8 per cent greater than in the first survey. The number reporting they are in the survival phase dropped by half, from 10 percent to 5 percent.
• While employee safety and sales recovery remain chief concerns for business leaders, fears for the future, such as when a vaccine will be developed and the impacts of a potential second wave of COVID-19, as well as the overall health of the economy, are much more prevalent now than in April.
• In addition, organizations reported they’ve become much more accepting of the fact that remote working does not appear to be going away any time soon; nearly half — 47 percent — expect at least 25 percent or more of their workforce to continue to work remotely after the pandemic subsides — nearly double what the April survey showed.
• However, due to remote working, 40 percent of respondents also cited they are experiencing increased information security issues from phishing emails and VPN overload.
• More than six months into the pandemic, more than half of all respondents are still experiencing issues in their supply chain at the manufacturing site and nearly 30 percent of respondents are looking to make long-term changes to their supply chain including how materials are sourced and transported, underscoring the fact that organizations continue to experience ongoing, unresolved supply chain woes.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on people and communities, and organizations are facing significant disruptions and challenges. This is why BSI is working closely with governments, regulators, and organizations globally to share best practices and expertise to help them on their road to resilience.” said Wren.

The BSI COVID-19 Pulse Survey was sent to BSI’s internal client database as well as shared publicly through social media and on the BSI US website. Additional information and resources related to the COVID-19 pandemic can be found at: https://www.bsigroup.com/en-US/topics/novel-coronavirus-covid-19/

Posted August 6, 2020

Source: The British Standards Institution (BSI)