By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
In preparation for future infectious diseases, the Wood County Health Department plans to add another tool to its arsenal – this one called MoonBeam3.
The system uses light to disinfect surfaces. The health department plans to purchase the infection prevention equipment for Wood County Hospital, Blanchard Valley Hospital, and Mercy Health Perrysburg Hospital. Another MoonBeam3 will be located at the health department to respond to potential outbreaks in other settings.
The MoonBeam3 system is designed to be used to prevent outbreaks of infections. The technology is made to disinfect places where diseases can spread rapidly – like hospitals, schools, long-term senior facilities, and day care settings.
The MoonBeam3 delivers UV-C light to provide fast disinfection over a broad area in just a few minutes. The units, costing $23,230 each, provide supplemental disinfection to ensure healthcare facilities are safe.
This added layer of protection helps disinfect tough to clean areas and can also be applied to personal protective equipment (PPE) such as N95 masks to address possible PPE shortages. The units are effective at destroying various pathogens including C.diff, norovirus, COVID-19 and Tuberculosis.
The MoonBeam3 systems will be added to the resources that the Wood County Health Department is providing to local communities to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
Health department officials are meeting with municipal and township officials throughout Wood County to make sure they are aware of the resources available. They are also offering assistance for schools, libraries, nursing homes and community buildings.
Last week, Wood County Health Department epidemiologist Tyler Briggs spoke at the Bowling Green City Council meeting. In the aftermath of COVID-19, Briggs said public health has seen “a rough couple years.”
He outlined the resources available to the community, such as:
- Installation of touchless water bottle filling stations.
- Installation of hand or mop sinks.
- HVAC cleaning services.
Those and other resources are being purchased with an $8 million grant the local health department was awarded to help communities fight the next rounds of COVID and other diseases.
Earlier this year, the health department offered public buildings water bottle filling stations for their facilities. So far, 100 water stations have been installed throughout the county.
The goal is to keep germs from spreading by reducing the need to touch shared items by hand, making hand washing more convenient, filtering contaminants from the air, and educating people of the risks.
In its three-plus years, the COVID pandemic killed at least 403 residents of Wood County. A total of 39,101 cases were reported, and 1,225 people were hospitalized in the county. At the height of the pandemic, Mercy Hospital reported 96% of the people dying from COVID were unvaccinated.
The priority locations for the prevention measures are high traffic areas or places with vulnerable populations, or those with financial barriers to prevention efforts.
“We are very mindful that we are using this money wisely to provide long-term impact to the community,” said Pat Snyder, who is in charge of health promotion and preparedness at the Wood County Health Department.
The health department is now offering communities several items that can help prevent the spread of infectious diseases:
- Water bottle fill stations.
- UV disinfection systems for local hospitals and one for the health department to lend to places experiencing an outbreak, and floor cleaning equipment for schools and similar public buildings.
- Filters and other air purifying supplies, cleaning and disinfection supplies and other infection prevention tools.
- Technology supplies for accessible communication and personal health monitoring supplies for members of the community with disabilities or language barriers.
- Supplies to support mobile, remote work or schooling – so people who have symptoms can stay home and continue to work and learn.
- Touchless activation supplies.
- Hand sanitizing supplies.
- Educational booklets and bags for infectious disease education and management kits.
- Portable hand washing stations for use by environmental health staff while in the field.
- Books to update the Wood County District Public Library’s collection of books for all ages related to health and test preparation materials for medical professions, including in languages other than English when available.
- Hygiene kits with soap, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste for infection control.
- Variety of supplies to equip the mobile health center.
“We are very fortunate to bring these resources to Wood County,” Snyder said. “We want to make sure we have as many resources out there to reduce infectious diseases.”
The $8 million COVID Enhanced Operations grant awarded to Wood County Health Department was the most granted to any public health agency in Ohio.
“It’s a big feather in our cap,” Snyder said at the board of health meeting earlier this month.
Health Commissioner Ben Robison acknowledged that he didn’t think Wood County Health Department had a chance of getting the large grant funding.
“I thought it was a long shot – but I love being proven wrong,” Robison said.
