Hospitals and clinics by their very nature are places where you find people who are sick. People who are sick may have weakened immune systems. And when your immune system is weakened things your body would normally fight off go undetected for a while, and may start to take root.Bacteria, viruses, mould, mildew and a host of other pathogens can flourish in a body where germ-killing white blood cells, are low in numbers or overworked.These microbes are everywhere; most healthy people can filter them out of their systems before they can cause any problems.As they occur naturally in the air we breathe, the challenge can be protecting the sick from these pathogens. Filtering the air to trap and kill these microbes can go a long way to protecting the sick from infection.Thermax/Asthma & Allergy Relief Centre owner Jenefer Brimmer donated the NQ500, a powerful air filter, to the Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre in St David’s.“The NQ air purification system is a solution utilised in hospitals around the world to protect patients from airborne infections,” said Alan Joell of the Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB).“While we all are aware of the vital role of housekeeping and hand washing in preventing the spread of infections, patients visiting the Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre can be assured that we are paying attention to ensure high levels of cleanliness in the very air they breathe.”The unit was installed in the waiting area of the St David’s facility in an effort to prevent pathogens from people coming in, reaching patients being treated. The installed unit purifies all the air in the waiting area of the Lamb Foggo Centre about seven times every hour, according to its inventor Bill Carey.BHB employee Linda Rothwell said air filters are already used in the Emergency Department at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and on patient wards. In all, 12 air filtration systems are in use there.“We are grateful for the donation of the additional equipment to protect Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre patients from the spread of infections,” said Ms Rothwell, manager of BHB’s Infection Control Department.“It is part of our commitment to provide the community with the best possible solution for infection control in all our clinical areas.”Consultant engineer Gordon Burrill highlighted the importance of air filters in Body & Soul’s June 21 edition.Very fine HEPA filters are a must in construction and are contained in the donated NQ filter, Mr Burrill said.Additionally the filter unit contains ultra violet lamps which kill the trapped microbes ensuring they cannot be released back into the air, even if the unit is off. “Everything in the unit is completely sterile so they are completely safe to move around,” Mr Carey said.The unit works by sucking in air at the bottom, passing it through pre-filters and over ultra violet light then passing it through a germicide chamber that destroys virus, bacteria, fungi and moulds.Next, the air passes through HEPA filters which catch the dead microbes. The resultant purified air is then released at the top of the unit. This forces the heavier particles and droplet nuclei down away from the breathing zone and into unit’s inlet.”