SunnyBrook HSC, the biggest trauma hospital in Canada, was looking for solutions to use electronics to help patients, caregivers, and families connect in real-time when they were not able to in person.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, a major priority because following protocols to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Healthcare facilities already had problems with HAIs, but now it was worse. Patients had to stay isolated. There were fewer chances for personal interactions. Yet, caregivers knew it was important to make patients feel connected.
“We started virtual social visits conducted via video chat on the iPads so they can stay connected. The Catalyst iPad cases have really supported this initiative.
By using iPads, SunnyBrook’s patients could have virtual social visits with their families. The hospital discovered they needed cases to protect iPads from infections and fluids, but they needed to be easily cleaned and disinfected.
“We had to have the right cases or would not have been able to use the devices. We needed a case that met the standards, could be wiped and cleaned during the pandemic with no concern - and Catalyst was the ONLY case that was approved (by our infection protection and control team) to meet the standards.”
They didn’t want to take the risk with a non-waterproof or less than waterproof solution to prevent spreading infections to patients, family members and hospital staff. After some research and testing, Sunny Brook found that Catalyst Waterproof Cases for iPads met their needs with a fully functional, fully protected, high performance waterproof case.
“We like this design because everything is sealed so we can wipe it down with our cleaning products and disinfectants between patients and uses. ”
The Catalyst case stands out as an ideal solution for healthcare facilities due to its washable, cleanable, and disinfectable properties. Its design allows for seamless integration into the hospital's infection control protocols, providing a high level of hygiene and reducing the risk of HAIs. By using Catalyst cases, healthcare facilities like SunnyBrook HSC can confidently utilize electronics to enhance patient care and maintain a safe environment for both patients and caregivers.
“The Catalyst case is great because we’re able to directly clean them to prevent transmission of COVID.”
]]>Normally we talk about how our cases can protect your devices, but today we are going to tell you about how our waterproof cases can protect you.
It is safe to say that we are all thinking about our hygiene in a different way. It is each of our responsibility to maintain a meticulous level of personal cleanliness, especially when it comes to our hands and face. What many people may not know is that phone hygiene is a critical factor in maintaining clean hands and keeping germs at bay. So we’re here to fill you in on how some simple measures can make a huge difference in the fight against germs and bacteria.
It may be shocking to hear but our personal cell phones - the devices we use more than any other and so often pressed up against our faces - are one of the biggest carriers of germs and bacteria. Studies have shown that the average cell phone can contain up to 17,000 germs on its surface. That’s 10 times more than most toilet seats! If that doesn’t alarm you then consider that many of us touch our phones more than 2,600 times per day. Yeah, we know, that’s a hell of a lot of touches. So even if you’re washing your hands continuously, an unwashed phone will just keep all those germs in circulation.
But don’t worry too much, we have the ideal solution!
Many of the recommendations around phone hygiene involve very precise instructions that require special equipment and careful application to avoid any damage to your device. But what if we told you that you could clean your phone as easily as you clean your hands. In fact, with this solution, you could clean both your hands and your phone at the same time.
Catalyst Case Hygiene Solution
Apply a Catalyst waterproof case to your phone or device and you’ll be able to wash your phone with water and soap just as easily as you wash your hands. Just follow these simple steps
How to clean your phone with a waterproof case
If you have a waterproof Catalyst case then it’s practically effortless to add this quick trick into your routine without any unnecessary effort. You don’t need to worry about having the necessary cloth or cleaning products. There’s no need to stress about getting moisture into the seams or openings and there is no risk of cleaning solutions doing any damage to the surface of your phone.
Our waterproof cases are designed to withstand depths of up to 33 feet. If the case is properly secured, there’s no risk of water getting onto the device. And there’s no better waterproof case design in the market and we have the award to prove it. The Catalyst Waterproof Case for iPhone 11 just won a Red Dot Award for ‘Product Design 2020’.
And that's not all, you can use Catalyst's waterproof cases to ensure your iPad, Apple Watch or AirPods keep clean and free from bacteria. So check out our full range of waterproof cases today. You’ll be doing your part to help stem the spread of coronavirus.
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You should clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces using an EPA-registered disinfectant on the EPA List N. It is important to regularly clean frequently touched surfaces including doorknobs, faucets, light switches, handles, phones and keyboards. Most people will cautious and clean surfaces like countertops or tables, but then they pick up their devices, which is the most frequently touched object for many people. According to the CDC, the best way to keep hard electronic devices clean is to use a wipeable cover or case designed to make it easier to clean and disinfect. It’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and recommendations for cleaning the electronic item1.
How do I know which disinfectants work on the virus causing COVID-19?
Not all disinfectants are effective against the novel coronavirus. During the initial outbreak of a new virus like COVID-19, no disinfectants existed on the market that could make claims to kill the virus, because the virus was simply not available for testing.
The CDC recommends that studies of cultures of novel SARS-CoV-2 should be conducted in a Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) laboratory using BSL-3 practices2 but there is a limited number of BSL-3 labs in the world. Understandably, the immediate priority for research at these labs would focus on vaccines and treatments, so testing would have been a bottleneck. After that, it could still take more than one year to get a viral claim approved by a regulatory agency.
Since few disinfectants could be tested, the EPA took the approach of fast-tracking approvals of already approved disinfectants using a ‘hierarchy-based’ policy. This means that if a company’s product has been found to be effective against harder-to-kill viruses, it is likely to kill a virus like COVID-19.
The EPA expects the products on List N to kill SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, because they:
What do you mean by harder-to-kill virus? What are the different types of viruses and which disinfectants are effective against them?
Viruses can be generally categorized into three groups by virus structure. This affects the effectiveness of disinfectants in killing the viruses.3
Since the novel coronavirus is lipid encapsulated, once you disrupt the lipid bilayer, it exposes the core proteins inactivating the virus, so it’s considered easier to kill vs. a non-enveloped virus.
A product that is likely to provide the greatest protection to you from COVID-19 will have claims against at least one non-enveloped virus such as Norovirus, Feline Calicivirus, Poliovirus, Rhinovirus, or Reovirus. This theory is the basis by which EPA has activated its Emerging Viral Pathogens Guidance for Antimicrobial Pesticides, regulating registrants that claim their products are effective against COVID-194 .
Most of the disinfectants on EPA List N were already EPA-registered as hospital/healthcare or broad-spectrum disinfectant. Their directions included use on hard, porous or non-porous surfaces based upon claims and testing against at least one non-enveloped virus.
On July 6th, 2020, the US EPA announced it approved a test method for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, thus allowing disinfectants to get tested and submit their data to the US EPA for acceptance. If approved, they would be allowed to start the process of updating their chemical labels to include the SARS-CoV-2 claim.
You should stick to the products listed on the EPA List N. In reviewing a disinfectant for expedited review, the EPA would do a more thorough review of product chemistry, acute toxicology and appropriate efficacy studies. The efficacy data qualifies the product as a broad-spectrum or hospital hard surface disinfectant, and includes virucidal efficacy data for SARS-CoV-2 or another human coronavirus (e.g., ATCC 229E) or a non-enveloped virus.
Are there differences in the active ingredients in disinfectants?
There is no preferred active ingredient in disinfectants. All EPA-registered disinfectants must provide efficacy data against the organisms claimed on the label, but each has a different mechanism.
When selecting a disinfectant, try to select one appropriate for the surface it is intended to clean. There are advantages and disadvantages to every type of chemistry. Quaternary ammonium chemistry is a relatively surface-safe type of chemistry. It can act as a surfactant and help with the emulsification of soils and physical breakdown.
Some disinfectants will chemically attack items being disinfected. Stainless steel can be pitted by strong acids and (in some conditions) halogen active disinfectants.
Bleach is a great oxidizer, but it is a corrosive with a high pH and not suitable for all surfaces. It also usually needs to be left on a surface for a long time to work, which has the potential to discolor the material. In some applications bleach can cause more damage than good.
Plastics can be affected by disinfectants containing organic solvents while various metals may be attacked by strong acids or alkalis, halogen active substances or disinfectants containing electrolytes.
Alcohol is a great anti-septic, but it is flammable and can flash off surfaces quickly.
Hydrogen peroxide can also be a good cleaner, however peroxide chemistry is acidic and not all surface are acid resistant, so it may not be compatible with many materials.
Most disinfectants have toxic properties and some are also highly corrosive, causing damage if they come into contact with skin or eyes. Some products are less suitable for contact with skin such as products with a high level of alkalinity or highly oxidizing products, such as sodium hypochlorite (bleach), hydrogen peroxide, chloroxylenol, or quaternary ammonium or bleach. Some disinfectants e.g. glutaraldehyde and hypochlorites may also have irritant properties and so cause respiratory problems if used in poorly ventilated areas. Some disinfectants may react with other chemicals causing the release of hazardous gases e.g. bleach and acids or bleach and cleaning agents containing ammonia.
Precautions should be given for handling both concentrated disinfectants and made up in-use dilutions. When handling concentrated disinfectants care should be taken to avoid splashing, and goggles or a full-face visor and gloves should be worn.
How should I use a disinfectant?
When using these disinfectants, follow the manufacturer’s instructions to properly use the disinfectant, such as recommended use-dilution (if applicable), material compatibility, storage, shelf-life, and safe use and disposal.
Wear gloves and wash your hands. Some disinfectants are not skin safe, can be irritants or have toxicity when ingested, cause allergies or other health hazards. For some disinfectants, the directions will that you rinse the surface after disinfecting and this will be listed on the EPA List N as Food Contact Surfaces, Post-Rinse Required. In some cases, if you’re not wiping or rinsing the product off the surface, you can leave a chemical build-up over time which can lead to skin burns. It’s always best to wipe the surface post-cleaning to make sure it is not left with chemical residue. When a rinse is not necessary, this will be noted on EPA List N as Food Contact Surfaces, No Rinse. You can find out whether you need to rinse the surface after disinfection by reading the directions on the product label, however if you can’t tell, it’s best practice for you to wear gloves. For disposable gloves, discard them after each cleaning. For reusable gloves, dedicate a pair to disinfecting COVID-19. Wash your hands after removing the gloves. In our recommendations for disinfectants to be used on our waterproof cases, we recommend using a skin safe disinfectant.
Lock up the disinfectant after use. Keep lids tightly closed and store out of reach of children7. It is best practice to separate any After carefully removing so that you don’t touch the contaminated portions of the PPE that you have been wearing, it should be disposed of in a trash liner that is then is sealed up and disposed of with your normal waste.
What should I do to clean my device in a Catalyst case?
If the surface is visibly dirty, wash it first with soap and water. Then, follow with an EPA-approved disinfectant, paying attention to proper contact time – the surface should remain wet the whole time to ensure the disinfectant is effective8.
It’s the manufacturer’s responsibility to provide a recommended disinfection protocol, and as you can tell, we’ve done our homework to come up with a recommendation.
Catalyst Waterproof Cases have been tested to sustain repeated disinfection with 70% isopropyl alcohol and 70% ethanol. These have proven to work against similar coronaviruses like SARS and MERS by a study by the Journal of Hospital Infection.9
According to the World Health Organization, in general, alcohol-based disinfectants (ethanol, propan-2-ol, propan1-ol) have been shown to significantly reduce infectivity of enveloped viruses like SARS-CoV-2, in concentrations of 70-80% with one minute exposure time.10
After cleaning, the following disinfectants and defined concentrations can be used on environmental surfaces to achieve a >3 log10 reduction of human coronavirus. They are also effective against other clinically relevant pathogens in the health-care setting:
In recommending a disinfection method, we needed to understand the toxicity of disinfectants & determine what was safe given the frequent skin contact to your devices.
The Catalyst Waterproof Case allows safe disinfection your phone or electronic device using 70% isopropyl alcohol or 70% ethanol. These are amongst the few disinfecting methods that are effective, skin-safe, and did not leave harmful chemical residue build-up that could pose a health hazard.
We also looked at the chemical compatibility of disinfectants that were proven to work against coronaviruses to determine if any of the materials in our cases would be degraded. Some disinfectants chemically attack items being disinfected, e.g. various metals (may be attacked by strong acids or alkalis, halogen active) or plastics (affected by solvents), which are what your device or cases may be made of. Choosing the wrong disinfectant would affect the performance of our cases, possibly making it no longer waterproof or drop proof. In some of our cases such as our Waterproof Case for the iPhone 11, there are 46 component parts. That’s a lot of reviewing, testing and evaluation!
Check out how to clean your phone case with our Total Protection range safely here.
Why are hand sanitizers not on the EPA’s list N?
EPA List N only includes EPA-registered, non-critical, hard non-porous surface disinfectants. At EPA, products used to kill viruses and bacteria on surfaces are registered as antimicrobial pesticides12. An antimicrobial product or pesticide is intended to disinfect, sanitize, reduce, or mitigate growth or development of microbiological organisms 13.
Sanitizers and disinfectants are two types of antimicrobial pesticides14. Hand sanitizers, antiseptic washes and antibacterial soaps are not regulated as pesticides, because they are used to kill microbes in or on a person, and are regulated by the FDA. Antimicrobial hand hygiene products are regulated by FDA, which specifies the acceptable active ingredients and their use level. The two most popular on the market today are Ethanol (Alcohol) and Benzalkonium Chloride.
Sanitizers used on inanimate objects such as countertops and floors are regulated as pesticides. EPA-registered surface disinfectants, including surface wipes, should not be applied on the skin or ingested, but only used on surfaces.
Unlike EPA registered disinfectants, products regulated by the FDA, such as antimicrobial handwashes or antibacterial hand sanitizers, do not undergo viral efficacy testing. The FDA monograph (the “rule book”) assumes the active ingredients have antimicrobial activity, and responsible manufacturers will self-verify their formula’s efficacy against a list of 26 organisms including bacteria, yeast, and mold. This list of organisms is recommended by the FDA. Making anti-viral claims or reduction in illness claims are considered false and misleading under the monograph, leading to enforcement by the FDA.
What does log reduction mean?
Log reduction or 99.9% or 99.9999% effectiveness are terms used to correlate to efficacy provided by a specific disinfectant or sanitizer. This means the percent of pathogens able to be killed from a hard non-porous surface as long as all label directions are followed properly.
What is the difference between a disinfectant and sanitizer?
Disinfection is 100% kill of the claimed organism. A sanitizer claim for nonfood contact surfaces is 99.9% of the claimed organism, or reducing the level of bacteria to a level considered safe by public health standards or requirements.
Sanitizers cannot claim viricidal data. For food service, a sanitizer should reduce the level of bacteria on a surface by 99.99%. Sanitizing does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs. Most sanitizers, as well as disinfectants, require a clean surface in order to be effective at killing germs.
Can I use an alternative disinfection method?
CDC only recommends use of the EPA List N: Disinfectants for Coronavirus (COVID-19) against the virus that causes COVID-19. In their guidelines for disinfection, the CDC does not recommend alternative disinfection methods, including UVC devices, because their efficacy is unknown against the virus that causes COVID-19 and the EPA does not routinely review the safety or efficacy of these devices.15
Studies using UVC to disinfect and reuse masks show that even when using this alternative disinfection method, it is still important to supplement this with the primary recommended method to clean and disinfect. Consumers should continue using a disinfectant on the EPA List N Disinfectants for Coronavirus, since UVC may not be fully effective on all materials.
Check out our other articles around dispelling the myths about alternative disinfection methods such as antimicrobial products and UVC lamps.
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No worries, we’re here to help you. First, it depends of your team color so here we goooo :
Mystic team (blue):
“Overall, your Pokémon is a wonder! What a breathtaking Pokémon!” => Congratulations! Your Pokémon IV is between 82.2% to 100%.
“Overall, your Pokémon has certainly caught my attention.” => Not too bad! Your Pokémon IV is between 66.7% to 80%.
“Overall, your Pokémon is above average.” => Hum… Your Pokémon IV is between 51.1% to 64.4%.
“Overall, your Pokémon is not likely to make much headway in battle.” => Less than 48.9%! Go catch another Pokémon immediately…!
Valor team (red):
“Overall, your Pokémon simply amazes me. It can accomplish anything!” => Congratulations! Your Pokémon IV is between 82.2% to 100%.
“Overall, your Pokémon is a strong Pokémon. You should be proud!” => Not too bad! Your Pokémon IV is between 66.7% to 80%.
“Overall, your Pokémon is a decent Pokémon” => Hum… Your Pokémon IV is between 51.1% to 64.4%.
“Overall, your Pokémon may not be great in battle, but I still like it!” => Less than 48.9%! Go catch another Pokémon immediately…!
Valor team (Yellow):
“Overall, your Pokémon looks like it can really battle with the best of them!” => Congratulations! Your Pokémon IV is between 82.2% to 100%.
“Overall, your Pokémon is really strong!” => Not too bad! Your Pokémon IV is between 66.7% to 80%.
“Overall, your Pokémon is pretty decent!” => Hum… Your Pokémon IV is between 51.1% to 64.4%.
“Overall, your Pokémon has room for improvement as far as battling goes.” => Less than 48.9%! Go catch another Pokémon immediately…!
After that the Professor will tell you what is the best feature of your Pokémon (either attack, defense or stamina (HP)). If you’re lucky he can tell you 2 or even 3 if they are all perfect IV.
Again, from what he says you will learn the IV Value with these phrases:
Mystic team (blue):
“Its stats exceed my calculations. It's incredible!” => Wow! The IV for this feature is totally crazy, 15/15!
“I am certainly impressed by its stats, I must say.” => Well done! The IV for this feature is between 13 to 14.
“Its stats are noticeably trending to the positive.” => Could be worse… The IV for this feature is between 8 to 12.
“Its stats are not out of the norm, in my estimation.” => Sad, you’re definitively unlucky!!! The IV for this feature is less than 7.
Valor team (red):
“I'm blown away by its stats. WOW!” => Wow! The IV of this feature is totally perfect, 15/15!
“It's got excellent stats! How exciting!” => Well done! The IV of this feature is valued 13 to 14.
“Its stats indicate that in battle, it'll get the job done.” => Could be worse… The IV of this feature is valued 8 to 12.
“Its stats don't point to greatness in battle.” => Sad, you’re definitively unlucky!!! The IV of this feature is less than 7.
Valor team (Yellow):
“Its stats are the best I've ever seen! No doubt about it!” => Wow! The IV of this feature is totally perfect, 15/15!
“Its stats are really strong! Impressive.” => Well done! The IV of this feature is valued 13 to 14.
“It's definitely got some good stats. Definitely!” => Could be worse… The IV of this feature is valued 8 to 12.
“Its stats are all right, but kinda basic, as far as I can see.” Sad, you’re definitively unlucky !!! The IV of this feature is less than 7.
Want to see a perfect Pokémon? Take a look below.
Halloween is coming! For a limited time you will be able to double the amount of Candy gained from the Pokémon you catch, the eggs you hatch and the Pokémon you transfer. Looks like it time to go out Trick or Treating to get more Candy.
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