A new gadget is in use at the Hong Kong International Airport. Sanitizing pods that look like security checkpoint machines are currently in trial at the airport. It claims to kill all microbes, including the coronavirus in just less than a minute.
The process of disinfection is pretty straightforward. A person would need to go inside the cramped cubicle, as the rest of the magic happens inside. Aside from disinfecting, it can also check temperatures and check the readings that suggest the presence of a viral infection in a traveller.
Hong Kong's airport is the first in the world to use CLeanTech sanitation pods which are now being used by frontliners such as health professionals.
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The CLeanTech Sanitation Pod
The authorities at the airport in Hong Kong describe the machine as 'a full-body disinfection channel facility'. It is claimed that the interior surface of the cubicle is coated with an antimicrobial material.
Officials say that this material can kill any viruses and bacteria, as well as pathogens on humans. They add that the machine uses the technologies of a photocatalyst and nanoneedles. Furthermore, they say that a sanitizing spray is also administered for instant disinfection.
A spokesperson for the Airport Authority Hong Kong told AFAR said that the spray consists of BioEm Air Sanitizing and Purifying liquid, a sanitizer made from natural botanical extracts. The manufacturer of the booth says that will kill a variety of bacteria and viruses.
Passengers are to have their temperature taken before entering the cubicle to spot a fever. An increase in a person's body temperature is one of the warning signs indicative of a systemic infection, such as in COVID-19.
The whole process of sanitation takes only about 40 seconds, starting from the time a person's temperature is taken to stepping outside the booth.
The booths are currently being tested by airport staff who assess passengers for public health and quarantine purposes as a part of the trial.
More Sanitation Gizmos for Hong Kong
The sanitation pods are just one of the several measures being trialled by the airport to keep it free from contamination of the coronavirus.
Other ongoing tests include independent cleaning robots, called Intelligent Sterilization Robots, which move around the airport cleaning it.
The robots are engineered with a UV light sterilizer and an air sterilizer. The group of robots are to operate around the clock. They are tasked to target areas that are most at risk of hiding the SARS-CoV-2 virus, such as toilets.
According to Steven Yiu, a representative of the Airport Authority in Hong Kong, the safety and wellbeing of airport staff and passengers are considered as their priority in their operations.
Although the pandemic has substantially burdened air traffic, the airport authorities spare no effort in making sure that the airport is a safe environment for all users. Yui adds that they will continue to look into new measures to enhance cleaning and disinfecting the airport.
Airport Authority Hong Kong has also voiced its plan to place antimicrobial coating similar to what is used inside CLeanTech to all passenger facilities.
This trial will be continuous throughout May, and the Airport Authority will then decide on whether to implement it in the long run.
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