In the final part of our interview with Deborah Birx, MD, she discussed other factors that influenced their study results, in addition to the 70% reduction in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and the decrease in CFU. “What this proved to me is that essentially continuous disinfection, by using the same power that what the sunlight does outside, on surfaces and in air, you can decrease the amount of fungus and bacteria, and critically, that translates into an impact of decreased HAIs,” she said.
Technology Overview
ActivePure Technology mimics natural atmospheric cleansing processes by generating oxidizing molecules that neutralize pathogens in the air and on surfaces. Proven effective in various settings, including healthcare facilities, it has shown up to a 94% reduction in COVID-19 among nursing home residents.1
Birx explains how their technology reduces the reliance on human effort, saying, “Despite hospital staffing constraints, this is a solution that works outside of human resources, because you can never do enough to keep that room and air and surfaces clean because it's continuously contaminated. Now, you have a continuous decontamination approach that works independently of human intervention.”
Main Takeaways
- Continuous disinfection technology that mimics sunlight has been shown to reduce HAIs, demonstrating its significant impact on lowering infection rates.
- ActivePure Technology has effectively achieved up to a 94% reduction in COVID-19 among nursing home residents by continuously neutralizing pathogens on surfaces and in the air.
- Future research will explore the technology’s effectiveness in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, with plans to expand its use to further reduce HAIs and MRSA, particularly in vulnerable populations.
Context and Impact of HAIs
HAIs remain a significant global issue, with the CDC estimating approximately 722,000 HAIs and 75,000 related deaths annually in the US.2
A study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology found that exposure to a recently hospitalized and discharged family member increases the risk of MRSA infection within a household, even if the hospitalized individual was not diagnosed with MRSA. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) for this exposure was 1.44 (95% CI, 1.39–1.49), with the risk rising in correlation with the length of the family member’s hospital stay (P <.001).³ The research, which analyzed data from 157,944,708 enrollees and identified 424,512 MRSA cases, highlighted that exposure to a family member with MRSA in the previous 30 days significantly elevated the infection risk. Even after excluding enrollees who were hospitalized or exposed to a family member with MRSA, the risk associated with exposure to a recently discharged family member remained notably high.3
Looking Forward
Birx shared insights on future research, noting that they have “been examining the same issues in nursing homes, where people often bring resistant bugs into long-term care facilities, and we’re ready to start publishing our findings. We’re specifically looking at rates of COVID, RSV, and flu, and we’re beginning to see impacts in these long-term care facilities.”
In summary, ActivePure Medical plans to expand the use of its Induct Guardian Series air decontamination system following the study’s successful results. The company aims to further integrate the technology into healthcare settings to reduce HAIs and MRSA.1
Birx concluded, “This technology has applications wherever people need to stay healthy, particularly in environments with immunosuppressed individuals or the elderly, as it works without needing to be manually turned on and off.”
References
Miller AC, Arakkal AT, Sewell DK, Segre AM, Adhikari B, Polgreen PM. Hospitalizations among family members increase the risk of MRSA infection in a household. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. Published online 2024:1-7. doi:10.1017/ice.2024.106
