Photo of a BLU-MED medical shelter equipped with a negative pressure isolation system being set up at Lexington Medical Center, Columbia, South Carolina.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Declared a Pandemic

March 12, 2020 - by BLU-MED
Photo of a BLU-MED medical shelter equipped with a negative pressure isolation system being set up at Lexington Medical Center, Columbia, South Carolina.

On Wednesday, The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) a pandemic based on its worldwide reach and the likelihood of it continuing to spread from person to person throughout a community (known as community spread). This designation is not determined by a certain number of deaths, infection rates, or the number of countries that are affected. The announcement was made to raise awareness of the coronavirus, not to elicit a global panic.

While the characteristics of the coronavirus disease do not change, it puts a greater emphasis on governments and healthcare systems to:

  • Prepare for the coronavirus by enacting strict screening and testing protocols
  • To safely isolate and treat patients infected with the coronavirus
  • Reduce the exposure to healthcare workers, as well as hospital staff and patients
  • Stop the spread of the virus
BLU-MED Medical Isolation Shelter outside UCFS Hospital in San Francisco. Courtesy of Anne Onate/Fox 2 KTVU.

Hospitals like Lexington Medical Center in Columbia, SC and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center in San Francisco, CA are taking proactive steps and preparing for a surge in coronavirus cases by establishing isolation and treatment facilities. People arriving with respiratory symptoms related to the coronavirus (fever, cough, and shortness of breath) are being directed to the BLU-MED isolation shelters setup outside of the hospital.

Lexington Medical Center released the following statement:

“It’s important to note there is no surge in coronavirus cases at Lexington Medical Center at this time. The tent is simply a precautionary measure and adds a proactive level of protection if needed in the future. Lexington Medical Center is committed to doing everything possible to protect patients, staff and community members.”

BLU-MED medical isolation shelters are:

  • Portable medical shelters capable of being operational in 30 minutes
  • Equipped with Negative Pressure Isolation Systems (NPIS) that filter air through a HEPA and UV germicidal filter to remove 99.984% of particulates 0.3 microns or greater in size
  • Climate-controlled
  • Self-contained
  • Easily connected to other BLU-MED medical shelters
  • Engineered to withstands winds up to 100 miles-per-hour

BLU-MED Response Systems® (BLU-MED) is the world’s leading provider of medical shelter systems and mobile field hospitals. Our medical shelters allow government agencies (of all levels; federal, state, county, city, and local municipality), hospitals, healthcare facilities, emergency management and response agencies, and aid organizations the ability to quickly establish advanced-level care facilities …when and where needed™.

For more information about BLU-MED’s negative pressure isolation system:

Tel: (US) +1-425-739-2795
Email: inforeq@blu-med.com
Web: www.BLU-MED.com

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