Posted April 9, 2020

 

HOUSTON – One of the biggest concerns during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers.

 

As such, Accel Lifestyle announced that it is supplying thousands of its Prema® Anti-Bacterial Face Masks to Houston Methodist Hospital.

 

Accel Lifestyle is using its exclusive, antibacterial Prema® fabric to manufacture Prema® Anti-Bacterial Face Masks, which are reusable and available to both the public and medical professionals. The Accel Prema Anti-Bacterial Face Masks have two layers of Prema® fabric, with excellent breathability. Accel Lifestyle is also manufacturing pediatric masks, surgical gowns and masks with a HEPA filter pocket for hospital workers.

 

Houston Methodist Hospital recently purchased 9,000 masks from Accel Lifestyle. Houston Methodist Hospital is among the hospitals leading the country in the battle against COVID-19 – recently becoming the first academic medical center in the nation to receive FDA approval to transfuse donated plasma from a recovered COVID-19 patient into a critically ill patient.

 

"In an effort to reduce the risk of unnecessary exposures, or catching other illnesses that could take away a first responder, the Prema® Anti-Bacterial Face Masks are helping our team add a layer of reusable protection," said Katherine K. Perez, infectious diseases pharmacist for Houston Methodist Hospital System and member of the RDV COVID-19 Team. "As shortages are imminent, this type of PPE is critical for healthcare workers and for patients to receive the best care. The last thing any clinician wants is to have to ration PPE across patient visits."

 

While initially intended to be a non-stink fabric for athletic wear, Prema® fabric – due to its antimicrobial properties – has proven to be popular with cancer patients and others with compromised immune systems. Although it's not an N95 mask, Accel CEO Megan Eddings said she is thrilled her Accel Lifestyle Prema® Anti-Bacterial Face Masks can help provide some level of protection against COVID-19.

 

"The fact that a hospital system that is on the forefront of COVID-19 is choosing Accel Lifestyle to create PPE is profound and humbling," Eddings said. "I truly believe we're all in this together and we all have a role to play during this pandemic. If Accel Lifestyle can help flatten the curve in any way, then we're going to do it."

 

Other hospitals in the Texas Medical Center, including MD Anderson Cancer Center, Memorial Hermann and Texas Children's Hospital, are also looking at purchasing masks and surgical gowns manufactured by Accel Lifestyle. In addition, the Texas Medical Center hospitals are also independently testing Accel Lifestyle's Prema® fabric in their own infection control departments.

 

Developed by Eddings, Prema® fabric uses a proprietary blend of silver-poly fibers woven with Supima®, the finest cotton in the world. It has undergone years of development and testing – focusing primarily on Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Even after 100 washes, tests have shown a 99.38 percent reduction rate of Staphylococcus aureus and a colony reduction rate of 97.44 percent of Klebsiella pneumoniae.

 

The Accel Prema Anti-Bacterial Face Masks are currently available. Accel Lifestyle has the ability to quickly produce over 90,000 additional face masks beyond their current stock. Inquiries should be made to info@accellifestyle.com.

 

Source: Accel Lifestyle