Stepping up in a time of crisis: Saniflo provides aid to pandemic relief centers

Early this year, and without much of a warning, the COVID-19 pandemic began impacting the entire globe, bringing with it an abundance of urgency and uncertainty. Due to overloaded hospitals and lack of testing sites, pandemic relief centers, or emergency response centers, were being quickly built to assist with the surging number of cases.

What is a pandemic relief center?

Pandemic relief centers serve as ICUs (intensive care units) to provide the proper space for patients to heal, especially when there is a lack of hospital beds for those needing medical attention. When a community has an outbreak, these emergency response centers can quickly be built so as to not overwhelm hospitals. Additionally, the facilities are also serving as self-isolating wards located near hospitals, retirement homes, and prisons. Individuals who were exposed to the virus, but not yet positive or symptomatic, can quarantine in the pandemic relief center to avoid possibly transmitting the virus further.

Three different pandemic relief models were quickly built to respond to the needs of coronavirus patients, as well as essential public health workers.

• First model: Triage-like response centers are complete with a sink and offer a convenient place for patients and nurses to wash their hands.
• Second model: This type has access to a sink and shower for those who might be staying at the center for more than a day.
• Third model: These centers are structured as living quarters with a kitchen and laundry facilities. These are essential for those who need to be in quarantine for a long period of time. In addition, these models offer living quarters for staff attending to extremely ill patients, so they are able to self-isolate as well.

Rapid response

A key benefit to pandemic relief centers is their mobility. Building designs are segmented into hospital sections and meant to be taken apart and reconstructed in the next community being devastated by the virus.

Whenever the time comes and with the help of partners like Saniflo, which provided products to help speed the process, these 200-bed facilities can be shifted almost anywhere in the world. From parking lots to schools to sporting arenas, emergency response teams can create quick pop-up testing sites and makeshift hospitals — some even complete with ventilators.

Easy-to-install, above-floor plumbing solutions within these facilities were necessary to quickly react in a time of crisis. Saniflo stepped up and provided these solutions to help facilities get the job done in a timely and affordable manner.

Saniflo solutions

• Macerating toilet systems (sometimes called up-flush plumbing), such as Saniflo’s Sanicompact, permit the creation of a small bathroom with a sink as well as a water closet. This one-piece system with the macerator and pump fully integrated (as opposed to sitting inside separate housing) has self-venting capabilities and can be installed anywhere it is needed, taking up a minimum amount of space.
• If all that is needed at a pandemic response center is a functioning sink, drain pumps, such as the Saniflo Sanivite or the Saniswift, are a go-to. The above-floor plumbing offers a quick solution for hand-washing or sterilization. Because of easy access to the low inlets, sinks can be easily set-up in relief centers located anywhere, even a parking lot.
• Vortex lift stations, like the new Sanicubic 2VX, proved essential for their discharging distance capabilities. If a syringe, for example, is accidentally dropped into the toilet, it will not damage the system because the Vortex system can carry a solid object up to two inches long. In addition, Vortex units can also connect to above-ground storage tanks on site.

No matter the product, the longevity of each solution has supported the need to transfer these facilities wherever they are needed. Their quick and easy installation saves time and money, while also accommodating tight delivery schedules.

While we are continuing to learn more about the coronavirus every day, one thing that remains certain is the need to help our communities in this time of crisis. These mobile centers are a truly priceless job focused on working together collaboratively. In order to quickly put together emergency response centers, dedicated engineers, contractors, installers and so many more have worked together seamlessly to not only build a long-lasting facility but also to build long-lasting hope for the future

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Questions about adding a bathroom to your home classroom? Call 1-800-363-5874 to speak with the technical department regarding the details of your installation. Our team will help you find out which products would work best for your installation.

For more information about the product line, including new-product launches, contact Saniflo at 1-800-363-5874. Or visit the Saniflo website at www.saniflo.ca.

For editorial assistance, including press information and photography, contact John O’Reilly c/o GreenHouse Digital + PR: 815-469-9100 or [email protected]