JUNE 7, 2022 WellAir, a leading provider of indoor air disinfection and purification solutions, today released real-world test results demonstrating how its Defend 400 device reduced airborne bacteria at an urgent care outpatient facility in New Jersey. Compared to the control, the Defend 400 significantly reduced airborne bacteria in the combined four rooms by 52% and reduced opportunistic pathogens by 60% over a five-day period.

The objective of the study, run by WellAir and analyzed by EMSL Analytical Inc, was to determine whether the Defend 400 would decrease airborne bacterial counts as compared to the control (no device) in an urgent care outpatient facility occupied by doctors, nurses, staff and patients.

“Our Defend 400 device has been proven to minimize contaminants safely and effectively in many independent laboratory tests. The next step was to further validate those findings in a real-world setting,” said Felipe Soberon, WellAir’s Chief Science Officer. “This data showcases the efficacy of our solutions in healthcare environments where people are constantly coming and going. In these spaces, high-quality indoor air is critical to patient outcomes and provider protection.”

The study was conducted in November 2021 inside a New Jersey urgent care outpatient facility that was running at normal capacity and actively treating patients. The testing was performed in several locations: an examination room, nurse station, break room, and waiting room within the facility. The size of the environments ranged from 96 to 896 square feet.

During the five consecutive days, the Defend 400 significantly reduced total bacterial count by 52%, which included a 60% reduction in opportunistic pathogens and a 43% reduction in pathogenic bacteria.

Reduction in airborne pathogens may decrease transmission of airborne transmitted infectious diseases at healthcare institutions. In a laboratory testing, the Defend 400 demonstrated the ability to reduce the concentration of active SARS-CoV-2 from the air at an average of 49.20% reduction after 15 minutes and 99.86% after 45 minutes.

Another intervention study of two ICU units using WellAir’s Protect 800/900 and Defend 1050 found that air purifiers, in addition to the hospital HVAC systems, may be an effective way to reduce the microbial load in the air and surfaces and thus hospital-acquired infections. Further studies are required to demonstrate this.

The Defend 400 is an FDA-cleared Class II medical device that combines WellAir’s patented NanoStrike™ technology with a triple-stage filtration system from Camfil®. The device complements existing infection prevention practices such as built-in heating and air conditioning systems, social distancing, hand and surface disinfection, and the use of masks.

The Defend 400 is available now. Learn more about WellAir’s FDA-cleared air cleaning systems.

About WellAir

WellAir’s mission is to make the indoor world cleaner and safer. The company’s broad range of clean air and surface products are scientifically proven to help safeguard how people work, live and play. WellAir, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, with an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a leading provider of infection control solutions.