Delivering Proactive Solutions for Healthcare Facilities with the Power of UVC Technology.

For healthcare facilities struggling through another COVID-19 spike, traditional protocols are a sure way to help destroy various viruses and microorganisms, but can leave patients feeling isolated, while piling on the stress for caregivers. Would a proactive solution to a cleaner indoor environment help healthcare facilities prepare and offer a cost-effective alternative?

A Coast-to-Coast Triple Threat Signals a Winter Wave of Illness

December 6^tH 2022: Another 3,125 COVID-19 infections were reported in Los Angeles County while virus-related hospitalizations rose again as a long-feared winter surge in cases continued to materialize. Frontline healthcare facilities are the first to feel the impact of the spike, which has already forced some San Diego County hospitals to set up overflow tents outside their emergency departments. Kentucky continues to see a surge in cases of kids with respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, spreading rapidly among young children, with one children’s hospital admitting 66 patients with the respiratory virus this week alone, more than double the 32 this time last year.

As cases of COVID- 19 keep rising and a coast-to-coast influenza breakout to contend with, healthcare facilities are on high alert preparing for what could be a winter tripledemic.

Why Treating the Symptoms not the Cause Falls Short on Patient Care and Staff Well-being.

The COVID-19 pandemic has proven relentlessly challenging for healthcare. Staff burnout is now a harsh reality, and according to a survey, 34% of nurses said they would leave their jobs by the end of 2022, with 44% saying that stress and burnout contributed to their decision. Add to this the shortage of hospital beds and staff illness during a surge, it’s clear the band-aid approach offered by COVID-19 protocols falls short of a proactive solution that could help save lives and press the brakes on caregiver burnout.

Caring for the most vulnerable in our society, senior care facilities are the first to feel the pressure during COVID-19 surges. Older people often require more care and are more likely to have chronic illnesses such as diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease, and conditions such as dementia. While CDC guidelines such as canceling all non-essential patient visits, social distancing, and halting group activities can have a positive short-term benefit in slowing the spread of the virus, the long-term, negative effects on patients can’t be ignored. Research shows 76% of residents in senior care facilities felt lonelier than usual during isolation, while 64% didn’t leave their room to socialize. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Cutting-edge Solutions with UVC Proactive Disinfection.

A more proactive approach focuses on indoor air quality (IAQ) to reduce the threat of airborne pathogens like COVID-19. Less expensive and more effective than upgrading or replacing an HVAC system, UVC disinfection is a hospital-grade technology that works by using UVC waves to penetrate the cell walls of an organism to prevent the replication of their genetic material–ultimately stopping the spread of viruses, bacteria, mold, and mildew in their tracks.

A proactive approach using hospital-grade UV disinfection solutions is extremely effective at inactivating airborne viruses and killing bacteria. UVC technology fights microorganisms in high-traffic care environments such as physical therapy rooms, dining areas, and activity centers, providing peace of mind to staff and boosting patient confidence and ultimately their mental health.

R-Zero’s ecosystem is an ideal solution for healthcare facilities to prioritize indoor environmental quality for caregivers and patients. Already used by hundreds of hospitals and care facilities across the country, arc whole room UV-C disinfection systems are becoming the standard in enhancing air quality in healthcare environments. Not only effective, the R-Zero platform can also be up and running in a matter of days—significantly faster than installing a new filter and magnitudes faster than revamping an entire HVAC system.

For more information on how IAQ affects healthcare facilities, visit rzero.com/healthcare/

UV environmental disinfecting is supplemental to, not a replacement for, physical surface cleaning and is effective only on exposed surfaces and in circulating air exposed to UV light. R-Zero’s products are not medical devices and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate, or prevent disease, nor have they been evaluated or cleared by the FDA.