ABSTRACT

This study aimed to conduct an ozone application within a triage area that receives patients with suspected cases of COVID-19. The ozone application was carried out for 10 min to disinfect the air and surfaces of different rooms within the triage area. A 3D model for ozone spread in the doctor’s office was developed. Higher counts of bacteria (3.3 × 10² CFU · m⁻³) and fungi (1.3 × 10³ CFU · m⁻³) before ozone treatment were observed in the administrative room, which experienced greater circulation by healthcare workers. In this room, ozone was highly effective in reducing bacterial (95%; P < .0003) and fungal (78%; P < .0001) counts. Significant reductions in the percentage of bacteria of 83%, 74% and 95% and fungi of 70%, 49% and 69% also occurred within the doctor’s office, personal protective equipment dressing room and bedroom for healthcare workers, respectively. For the surface microbial quantities, bacterial and fungal growth were reduced (P < .05) on all surfaces after ozone application. Experimentation and modeling of ozone spread in the doctor’s office showed that the average ozone concentration was on the order of 20 ppm. This work represents a contribution to new hygiene strategies in a COVID-19 triage area.

摘要

本研究旨在在接收 COVID-19 疑似病例患者的分诊区域内进行臭氧应用。臭氧应用进行了 10 分钟，以对分诊区域内不同房间的空气和表面进行消毒。开发了臭氧在医生办公室扩散的 3D 模型。臭氧处理前在行政室中观察到更高的细菌（3.3 × 10 ² CFU · m ^-3）和真菌（1.3 × 10 ³ CFU · m ^-3）数量，医务人员在该室进行了更大的循环。在这个房间里，臭氧在减少细菌 (95%; P < .0003) 和真菌 (78%; P< .0001) 计数。医生办公室、个人防护设备更衣室和医护人员卧室内的细菌百分比分别显着降低了 83%、74% 和 95%，真菌百分比分别显着降低了 70%、49% 和 69%。对于表面微生物数量，使用臭氧后所有表面的细菌和真菌生长都减少了 ( P < .05)。医生办公室中臭氧扩散的实验和建模表明，平均臭氧浓度约为 20 ppm。这项工作代表了对 COVID-19 分类区域新卫生策略的贡献。