These days, our most effective remedy to keep us safe from bacteria and exposure to virus brought by COVID-19 is for us to stay away from crowded places where there are many people that could easily infect us with the virus. Social distancing is one of the health protocols that we must efficiently follow or else, we could be the next number to the rising cases of this pandemic.
Health experts have always reminded us that prevention is better than cure. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit us, we have taken this reminder more seriously than ever. Prevention meant drastically doing things differently. We spend most of our time at home, doing most things from home, our social interactions have become very limited, and going out and traveling are now restricted to doing what is essential.
We adapted the normalcy of wearing a face mask, a face shield, keeping a safe distance from others, and carrying a bottle of alcohol anywhere, all the time. It is our way of keeping safe, our prevention from contracting COVID-19, other viruses, and bacteria that may cause serious health issues. COVID-19, other viruses, and harmful bacteria are mostly present in our environment. Experts found that some viruses and bacteria can remain suspended in the air over long distances and longer periods, while COVID-19 is transmitted through droplets, the virus from the droplets can remain infectious on surfaces for a few hours or even days.
Though we cannot see these health threats, the good news is we are not entirely defenseless against them. Technological breakthroughs in healthcare are giving us an advantage in winning against these harmful bacteria and viruses, and one of the recent wins is in the use of cold plasma technology. An article published in sciencedaily.com reported that researchers from UCLA believe that using plasma promises a significant breakthrough in the fight against the spread of COVID-19. The article also noted that researchers sprayed plasma on surfaces, such as leather, rubber, plastic, metal, and cardboard, with SARS-CoV-2 cultures and saw the plasma kill the coronavirus on surfaces in less than three minutes, and destroyed most of the virus after 30 seconds. Additional tests also showed that plasma destroyed the virus on cotton from face masks. Researchers believe that the results are an indication of the plasma’s potential in preventing the spread of coronavirus.
What is Plasma?
Plasma is known as the 4th state of matter, the others are solid, liquid, and gas. We do not hear plasma as often, but in fact, it is the most common state of matter in the universe. The sun and stars are almost entirely a ball of plasma. On earth, we see the stars glow in the sky, the ripples in the north and south poles, and the neon signs along our city streets because of plasma.
Plasma is created by heating a neural gas or subjecting it to a strong electromagnetic field. The cold plasma technology is a mixture of positive and negative ions and free-moving electrons. When these ions are released in the air, they attach to harmful pathogens, bacteria, viruses, and odor molecules that cause them to break down and deactivate, then turn these substances into harmless water vapor. Plasma has proven to be effective in deactivating viruses and bacteria and has shown positive results in cancer treatment and wound healing, and other medical applications.
Aller Innovations Technology
Aller Innovations Inc., a Filipino owned company has been at the forefront of harnessing the potential of cold plasma technology since 2016, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Working with its development and engineering team based in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Taipei, Aller has developed the use of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) to produce cold plasma. Tests performed in Guangdong Detection Center of Microbiology showed that cold plasma can deactivate 99.90% of viruses and bacteria, and effectively deactivate odors and chemicals from tobacco, benzene, ammonia, acetaldehyde, and acetic acid.
Since day one, Aller Innovations Inc., is focused on creating products that can efficiently and effectively sterilize the things that we use, especially those for children. The first product offering from Aller is the Aller Plasma Sterilizer box that can be used for toys, clothes, food, utensils, and other small items often used.
Recently, Aller Innovations Inc. introduced the Aller Plasma Nano+, a compact and portable air purifier and surface sterilizer to keep our personal space safer anywhere, anytime. It uses DBD technology to produce cold plasma to deactivate viruses and bacteria in enclosed spaces of up to 30 cubic meters or a standard small room.
The air going around our personal spaces-- our home, workspace, inside our vehicles -- where we spend most of our time these days factors in our well-being and exposure to unseen dangers. Recognizing this fact led Aller to further develop their plasma technology to make a compact and portable device that we can carry around, especially now that we need to be extra careful because of COVID-19.
Safety and convenience of Aller Plasma Nano+
Aller Plasma Nano+ Sterilizer is safe to use with people and pets inside the room or vehicle because it emits no heat, water, or radiation. It is also very eco-friendly because it does not use any filters, or any other secondary pollutants.
It's easy to carry around weighing only 8oz., you can put it inside your car, on the dining table especially when dining out, and on your desk at work. It can run up to 3-hours when fully charged.
Aller Plasma Nano+ is a safer and healthier option to sterilize surfaces and the air in our personal space. It’s a better option than chemicals or other treatments because it is only air and electricity. The plasma technology keeps the surfaces we frequently touch, work, and eat on are kept sterile and free from bacteria or viruses.
We must keep in mind that our environment is a determinant of our well-being. The quality of the air we breathe and the cleanliness of the surfaces that we use, are just as important as the quality of food that we eat, the amount of sleep that we get and how we manage our stress. Keeping our personal space sterilized, wherever we are, is a necessary preventive measure to keep us and the family we come home to safe.