Novaerus Expands Distribution Network in China as the Coronavirus Outbreak Continues to Spread

DUBLIN, Ireland, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Novaerus, an Irish company that manufactures and sells patented medical-grade, clean air solutions, has partnered with seven established distributors across China, in regions such as Hubei, Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Guangzhou City and the Chinese special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau. The new partnerships are welcomed at a time of growing concern surrounding the recent infectious outbreak, caused by a novel coronavirus, that started in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.

Global health authorities are currently monitoring the recent outbreak, which has been spreading across China, with a growing number of additional cases identified globally.

Symptoms of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death. There are currently over 28,000 confirmed cases of the virus, with over 500 reported deaths.

It's not yet clear how easily 2019-nCoV spreads from person-to-person. However, previous strains of coronavirus, MERS and SARS, were thought to have been spread via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how influenza and other respiratory pathogens spread.

"The most difficult disease transmission route to guard against is airborne because we have very little to protect us when we breathe," says Dr Kevin Devlin, CEO at WellAir, the parent company of Novaerus. "Infection prevention specialists have pointed out that surgical masks are not designed to keep out viruses. Cleaning the air is a fundamental component of managing infectious outbreaks."

Due to the small size of viruses, many clean air solutions, including standalone filtration, are unable to trap viral particles. Novaerus portable air dis-infection units use a non-selective, rapid killing, patented plasma technology, offering a unique and safe solution to kill airborne viruses 24/7.  The technology has also been independently tested to reduce MS2 Bacteriophage, a commonly used surrogate for SARS-CoV* (Coronavirus) by 99.99%.

"Given the rapid and consistent kill rates achieved using Novaerus, it is reasonable to anticipate that our plasma technology will show similar impact and rapid kill rates across all viral particles," says Dr Felipe Soberon, Chief Technology Officer at WellAir.

Novaerus portable air dis-infection units will be available to healthcare facilities in the regions of Hubei, Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Guangzhou City and the Chinese special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.

About Novaerus

Novaerus is part of WellAir, an Irish company on a mission to reduce indoor airborne pollutants to create living, working, and healing spaces that foster rather than detract from human health, productivity, and wellbeing. WellAir and its brands, Novaerus and Plasma Air, can be found installed in hundreds of hospitals, senior living facilities, schools, casinos, railway stations, residences, and industrial facilities in more than 40 countries around the world.

For more information visit www.novaerus.com.

*(2010 ? Evaluation of filters for the sampling and quantification of RNA Phage Aerosols, Louis Gendron et al.)

Contact: Elizabeth Daly Ni Bhroin, +353-1-907-2750

SOURCE Novaerus