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Medi-Immune Ltd Announce Testing of Covid19 Breathing Device

Published on: 26 Mar 2020
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Medi-Immune Ltd. have today (25-03-20) revealed their ProtectivAir® compact, wearable, breathing device which will protect front-line healthcare staff and those working in biologically-compromised environments. ProtectivAir® is currently awaiting testing against the Coronavirus at PHE Porton Down. ProtectivAir® has proven extremely effective against a range of viral and bacterial pathogens and is extremely likely to be similarly effective against SARS-Cov-2 (Covid-19).

ProtectivAir® provides four crucial protections:

• Disables airborne pathogens before they are inhaled

• Immediately protects the user from infection

• Does not use a filter, this allied with an optional, small positive air pressure generated by the device, provides far better protection from leakage than existing mask systems

• Tests to date indicate the resulting antigens trigger the body's immune response

Public Health England - at their Porton Down laboratories, have validated the test results - confirming both protection and the initiation of an immune response.** ProtectivAir® is now fully developed, and could be in production in weeks, providing protection and saving lives long before production and deployment of a vaccine. Medimmune believe that with appropriate resources, ProtectivAir® could be in full production within weeks.

ProtectivAir® offers superior operator protection over N95/99 and FFP3 face masks as well as much improved breathability and ease of use for the wearer. There is no requirement for fit testing. ProtectivAir® is completely reusable, internally self-sterilising (the outside can be surface decontaminated) and does not suffer from reduced efficacy over time (like conventional face masks).

Infectious diseases emerge at a frequency of one every 8 months of which a proportion are pathogens, transmitted as aerosols. Emerging respiratory diseases do, and will, continue to cause havoc within the world's population, as is happening now with Covid-19. ProtectivAir®'s long shelf-life means it can be stockpiled for use in future outbreaks.

ProtectivAir® is an all-British invention, patented internationally, and represents a paradigm shift in respiratory protection. UVc has long been known and used as a way to sterilise surfaces and instruments but this novel application harnesses this technology to sterilise breathing air to protect users/wearers of the device.

PHE test results HERE

Explanatory video HERE

Medi-Immune web site HERE

We have proven the protective efficacy of ProtectivAir® but further investigation is required into the parameters surrounding the additional immune stimulation effect. This effect has been observed in studies using the Influenza virus but as yet uncharacterised; this immune stimulation effect offers a rapid solution to emerging pathogens as it does not require development, manufacture and dissemination of a conventional vaccine.