1. Fighting against MERS-CoV in central
hospitals in Saudi Arabia
MERS Facts
Middle East respiratory syndrome co-
ronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a viral respira-
tory disease that was first identified in
2012 in Saudi Arabia. The disease has
reached epidemic proportions in its
country of origin and has also spread
to neighbouring countries in the Gulf
area. The disease has lately spread
even to Korea and China.
MERS is part of the coronavirus fa-
mily and related to Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) which
infected nearly 10 000 people and
claimed over 900 lives in an epide-
mic in 2003. MERS is more dangero-
us than SARS: morbidity rate of MERS
is approximately 36 % whereas it is less
than 10 % for SARS patients.
MERS is suspected to have spread to
humans via camels but this has not
yet been confirmed. Most cases of
MERS have been transmitted from hu-
man to human, although according to
WHO MERS is less easily transmitted
than SARS and transmission requires
close proximity.
Spreading of the disease has occurred
in healthcare facilities where patients
have not been isolated, as the diagno-
sis has not yet been confirmed. Both
other patients and healthcare profes-
sionals have been contaminated this
way.
MERS patients need to be isolated in
Airborne Infection Isolation rooms to
not infect healthcare providers and ot-
her patients.
MERS in Saudi Arabia
The MERS epidemic has been especi-
ally severe in Saudi Arabia, where ac-
cording to WHO more than 85 % of all
MERS cases have occurred.
When the epidemic struck, hospitals
in Saudi Arabia were not ready for the
amount of patients that desperate-
ly needed isolation rooms. Hospitals
had to build new Airborne Infection
Isolation (AII) rooms with negative
pressure rapidly.
In addition to the shortage of isolation
rooms, there were serious problems
with isolation rooms that were using
HEPA filter purification. In Dammam
Central Hospital, air pressure could
not be kept as stable as needed in
rooms with HEPA filters. The quality
of air varied so that they could not be
certain that the air was safe and clean
at all times. Moreover, these isolati-
Spreading of the disease
has occured in health care facili-
ties where patient have not been
isolated.
Case story
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2. More information on Genano air purifiers:
www.genano.com
on rooms had to be evacuated when
the filters needed to be changed and
HEPA filters had even been found guil-
ty of causing contaminations.
Finnish Air Purification Innovation
Genano Ltd is a Finnish manufacturer
of air purification units. Genano’s mis-
sion is to create clean air solutions for
commercial and industrial applications
by using its patented Genano techno-
logy®. Its air purification systems can
be used in many applications, e.g. iso-
lation wards, critical areas and clean-
rooms.
The core of Genano’s air purificati-
on technology is the ability to clear in-
door air of particulate matter of any
size, starting with nanometre sized
particles.
Genano units do not only clear the
air from particles, they also kill orga-
nic particles such as bacteria and vi-
ruses. This makes Genano air purifiers
ideal for isolation rooms where clean
air free from bacteria and viruses is es-
sential. As the viruses and bacteria do
not stay alive inside the units and the-
re are no filters that need to be remo-
ved, cleaning of Genano units is safe
and isolation rooms do not need to be
evacuated for filter changes. Instead,
isolation rooms can be used conti-
nuously.
Solution
Genano has been an important part-
ner in Saudi Arabia in combatting the
MERS epidemic. Genano has helped
build new isolation rooms and instal-
led Genano air purifiers to keep pa-
tients, visitors and health care pro-
fessionals safe in hospitals and other
health care facilities.
Several units have been installed in
hospital isolation rooms in for examp-
le Dammam, Jazzan and Quatif.
Additionally units have been instal-
led in pathogen diagnostics facilities.
Ministries of Agriculture and Health
in Saudi Arabia have also built isolati-
on rooms and PCR cleanrooms with
Genano units to fight the threat of
MERS.
Results
With the help of Genano air purifiers,
Saudi Arabian hospitals and other
healthcare facilities have been able to
treat patients safely and without the
risk of additional virus infections.
Dammam Central Hospital has re-
ported that using Genano air purifiers
has been very successful. As the de-
vices use a different technology from
HEPA filters, there is no risk of infecti-
on through the device itself.
Air pressure in the isolation rooms
has been stable, which it was not pre-
viously with HEPA filter purifiers.
The isolation rooms could be used
continuously, since there is no need
for filter changes in the Genano air
purifiers.
The users at Dammam Central
Hospital are satisfied with the constant
good quality of clean air the Genano
air purifiers generate and can now be
certain that the air is clean and safe.
Genano units do not only
clear the air from particles, they
also kill organic particles such as
bacteria and viruses.
The isolation rooms could
be used continuously, since the-
re is no need for filter changes in
the Genano air purifiers.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ministy of Health MetropoliLab
Certificates
The Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical
Scienses
Genano Ltd • Kimmeltie 3, 02110 Espoo, Finland • +358 9 774 3870 • info@genano.fi • VAT number FI21752180 • www.genano.com
