Assessment of COVID-19 Droplets in a Clinical Setting to Reduce the Risk to Health Care Providers

在临床环境中评估 COVID-19 飞沫以降低医疗保健提供者的风险

• 批准号: 554639-2020
• 负责人: Karatas, Ahmet
• 金额: $ 3.64万
• 依托单位: Ryerson University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Alliance Grants
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=704940
• 关键词: Assessment; COVID; 19; Droplets; Clinical

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to grow rapidly with over 85,000 confirmed cases in Canada. While efforts are being made to develop pharmaceutical SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) remedies, a COVID-19 vaccine still has a 12-18-month horizon according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This means that COVID-19 related hospitalizations will continue to stress our healthcare system. It is estimated that healthcare providers make up 1 in 7 known COVID-19 cases in Ontario. There is therefore an immediate need to protect our frontline health care professionals. Our partner organization, Unity Health Toronto, is in need of practical clinical guidelines to effectively use limited personal protective equipment sources. This requires an understanding of aerosol and droplet dispersion in a clinical setting. For example, critical information such as how clinical procedures affect COVID-19 carrying respiratory droplet release is not known. This project will develop a droplet-laden flow visualization experimental setup for optical measurements of aerosol and droplet size distribution and dynamics, and volume plume dispersion, in such a way that the platform can be used in both experimental laboratories and in clinical settings. Additionally, our team will develop a mechanical device that can simulate distribution and volume plume dispersion during human expiratory activities (e.g. talking, coughing, and sneezing), and during various clinical procedures, such as endotracheal intubation, or chest compressions. This work will aid Unity Health create practical clinical guidelines to combat COVID-19.

COVID-19疫情继续快速增长，加拿大确诊病例超过85，000例。尽管正在努力开发SARS-CoV-2（导致COVID-19的病毒）药物，但根据世界卫生组织（WHO）的说法，COVID-19疫苗的有效期仍为12-18个月。这意味着与COVID-19相关的住院将继续给我们的医疗系统带来压力。据估计，在安大略已知的COVID-19病例中，医疗保健提供者占1/7。因此，我们有迫切需要保护我们的前线医护专业人员。 我们的合作伙伴组织Unity Health多伦多需要实用的临床指南，以有效使用有限的个人防护设备来源。这需要了解气溶胶和液滴在临床环境中的分散。例如，临床程序如何影响携带COVID-19的呼吸道飞沫释放等关键信息尚不清楚。 该项目将开发一个液滴载流可视化实验装置，用于气溶胶和液滴尺寸分布和动态的光学测量，以及体积羽流分散，该平台可用于实验室和临床环境。此外，我们的团队将开发一种机械设备，可以模拟人体呼气活动（例如说话，咳嗽和打喷嚏）期间以及各种临床程序（如气管插管或胸外按压）期间的分布和体积羽流分散。这项工作将帮助Unity Health制定实用的临床指南，以抗击COVID-19。