More Protection Equipment for SARS
To meet the urgent need to combat SARS, the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology has reassigned a series of SARS research topics in the fields of epidemiology, clinic applications, pharmacy and protection. It has assigned them to a major special project named “Key Technologies for SARS Prevention and Treatment and Associated Products,” assigned to the National 863 Program. At present, Chinese scientists are working on their projects as scheduled and phase results of the development of SARS protection equipment have been published.
On the basis of their long-term research and experiments on bio-protection materials, the Institute of Microorganism Epidemics, under the Chinese Military Academy of Medical Sciences, in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Textile Sciences and relevant manufacturers, has recently worked out new bio-garment materials with SARS prevention capabilities. Designed with high standard bio-protection capabilities, reasonable physiological adaptability and reusable applications, the new protection garment is desirable as a protection for the skin of personnel, such as clinical medical staff and quarantine people responsible for external environment examination and sterilization, working in a severely contaminated environment.
“Bio-mask” is a product developed by the Institute of Sanitation Outfits under the Chinese Military Academy of Medical Sciences. Made of highly filterable and toxicity-free non-woven polypropylene materials, the bio-mask is able, together with other protection measures, to prevent SARS viruses from entering the respiratory system. On the basis of the factual data collected from people of 11 nationalities ranging from 14 to 36 years, researchers have worked out bio-masks with a facial adaptability of 25 based on three specifications. This fits the facial contours of up to 90% of the nation's population.
The “Positive Pressure Security Helmet,” developed by the same Institute, is able to protect the wearer against SARS virus infection under its comfortable transparent and light cover. Capable of providing sanitary fresh air under positive pressure, the headgear can prevent medical staff from contamination when in close contact with SARS patients.
The Institute of Field Sanitary Facilities under the same Academy has developed an insulation cabin to service SARS patients. It provides protection for the medical staff who transfer SARS patients. The cabin, equipped with air purification and negative pressure forming system, is able to filter and exhaust the air breathed by SARS patients.
The Institute has also developed the “Negative Pressure Ambulance” for SARS patients. The driver's cab is isolated from the patient's compartment, which is under negative pressure to prevent the outflow of contaminated air.
These products and facilities have passed their respective development and evaluation checks and will soon find applications at the Beijing China-Japan Friendship Hospital, You'an Hospital, and the PLA 302 Hospital.
New SARS Garments and Masks
Recently, the Institute of Logistics under the General Department of Logistics of the Chinese People's Liberation Army has developed a series of new anti-SARS protection products, including protection garments, masks, functional food, protection garment washing, and vehicle sterilization. The protection garments and masks the Institute has produced have reached or surpassed state technical standards issued not long ago for medical protection garments and masks.
By taking advantage of its available research findings on fabrics, featuring waterproofing, moisture ventilating, static proofing, combustion blockading, bacteria resistance, and deodorization, the Institute has developed new and high-quality comfortable medical protection garments able to repel viruses and ventilate moisture in line with the specific technical needs of SARS prevention. Comprehensive testing results of the new garments have shown that the garments have virus prevention efficiency 20% higher than the standards recently issued by the State for similar products. They also have a moisture ventilating performance four times greater than that required. The new medical protection garment made of Teflon film has recorded a protection efficiency as high as 99% (70% for the national standard) with a reusable application of 15 times. The protection garment made of super fine filter fibers has proved an efficiency of 95% or above for 5-time reuse with its moisture and air ventilating function better than that of a single-layer cotton protection garment. The new protection mask developed by the Institute also exceeded the protection standards defined by the State in terms of protection performance.
The Institute has also developed, on the basis of its military technology for functional food, 18 anti-SARS nutritional recipes, self-heating foods, and functional beverages.
China's Second SARS Drug Approved
Not long ago, the Chinese State Food and Drug Administration approved the clinical testing of restructured human interferon ω nasal spray in the battle against SARS. This made the drug the second of its kind approved by the State for clinical testing since the opening of the “green channel” by the Administration.
Developed by the Institute of Microorganism Epidemics under the Chinese Military Academy of Medical Sciences, the restructured human interferon ω nasal spray is believed of certain protection in preventing being infected by SARS viruses as shown in its external medicinal effect testing and experimental cell testing.
The authorities of the State Food and Drug Administration expressed that, considering the serious situation of SARS epidemics, the new drug has been approved for clinical testing among doctors and nurses who are fighting against the disease. It can also be used with high-risk population who has had physical contact with SARS patients. Its prevention effect will be further evaluated in the future.
To make anti-SARS drugs available as soon as possible, the State Food and Drug Administration has opened up the “green channel,” through which new anti-SARS drugs will enjoy accelerated approval without downgrading the standards. Previously, a new drug called “restructured human interferon α－２ｂspray” had been approved for clinical testing among high-risk populations.
China Able to Detect SARS in Food
A SARS testing process dedicated to animal, and plant food products independently designed and developed by the Chinese Institute of Import & Export Commodity Examination Technologies under the State General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine passed its verification check recently.
Applied with controlled viruses separation and RTPCR techniques, the process is able to perform a quick collection and separation of SARS viruses injected into food samples for experimental purposes. The process is also applicable to testing SARS viruses in live animal and plant products.
Thanks to its easy operation and fast and accurate testing, the process can be simply performed by a technician with required lab bio-molecule testing instruments. The new process will soon find its applications in quarantine examinations to make it easier to accomplish domestic market testing and customs quarantine clearance. The process will also become a strong technical support for security monitoring, assessment and pre-warning of animal and plant food products, as well as establishing a technical base for forming standardized quarantine systems.
Mobile X-ray Scanner for SARS
Shenyang Dongruan Digital Medical System Co. Ltd. has recently unveiled its mobile super high frequency bedside X-ray scanner, the first of its kind in China.
Having a high frequency and excellent pressure system, and enjoying numerous qualities such as high output, easy mobility, easy operation and bedside-oriented design, the new mobile X-ray scanner is able to produce accurate chest images of fine quality for SARS examination. Based on its high output capacity of 200 chest images per hour, the new mobile system will make the demand for one X-ray scanner on SARS wards or one X-ray scanner on SARS ward sections possible. Further, the remote controllable system is designed with one-off contamination free film cassette, one-off machine cover, flying spit insulation masks and a covering case made of a special surface, all of which may help to reduce the cross infection to the minimum. This will ensure effective prevention of contamination and prevent machine contamination along with convenience for sterilization.
Campus SARS Studies
It only took Shenzhen-based Tsinghua Research Institute ten days to work out an application that may determine the human body's temperature within one second. To date, the Division of Science and Technology of Tsinghua University has received 17 applications or proposals for SARS studies. The University has established a SARS Fund of RMB 3 million to finance the studies approved for this purpose.
In close collaboration with the Chinese National Disease Prevention and Control Center, the Bio-chip Research Center, under the University, has for the first time in the nation confirmed the SARS testing results through genetic chips with all its indicators satisfying the designed targets.
In addition, Peking University has approved a dedicated fund of RMB 1 million to create a P3 Lab to study pathogenic microorganisms while exploring a SARS diagnosing process. Being a special experimental platform for researchers, the P3 Lab offers an internationally acknowledged safe method to culture and separate viruses. Recently, at least 20 experts from the Institute of Chemistry, Institute of Life Sciences, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Institute of Pharmacy and the Institute of Public Health attached to the University gathered together at a seminar to discuss many surrounding issues and to formulate a strategic multi-disciplinary SARS research plan.
SARS Study Accelerated
Nanjing University has recently accelerated its SARS study by launching three major SARS research projects.
The new SARS drug research and development project, undertaken by the Pharmacy Institute under the Chemistry School of the University, has been searching for enhanced immunity regulators from both Chinese traditional and western medical resources. At the same time, there has been screening of drugs under research or clinical testing possessing remarkable treatment effects on lung diseases. The 'Proposal on Studying Fast SARS Diagnosing Method“ submitted by the Analytical Chemistry Section focuses its attention on establishing SARS pathogen-based immune diagnosing methods and developing testing sensors and immune chips so as to provide effective approaches for fast SARS diagnosing and treatment. In the project of establishing a SARS evaluation system and its applications in the studies of disease formation mechanism and related drugs, scientists propose to establish a series of SARS virus evaluation systems at protein, cell and full animal levels. This relatively safe, efficient and quick evaluation system and the associated technical platform will become an important base for further understanding the disease- causing mechanism of SARS, developing quick diagnosing techniques, searching for new control measures, and screening specific drugs and vaccinations.
Until now, Nanjing University has screened out some candidate extracts and monomeric compounds from Chinese traditional medical herbs and microbes, and prepared a number of proteins and their mutations of viruses and infection resistance through genetic engineering approaches.
Instant SARS Testing Slip
Huanan Polytechnic University has recently worked out a colloidal gold-based testing slip able to detect SARS viruses within two minutes. Without needing the help of any other instruments, the testing slip itself is able to tell if the recipient has been infected by SARS viruses simply by placing a drop of blood on the end of the testing slip.
It is stated that, with a greatly reduced testing cost, the SARS testing slip is able to produce quick test results under easy operation. It is convenient for storage under normal indoor temperatures and can be taken outdoors. Experts of the Guangdong Provincial Diseases Prevention and Control Center have pointed out that, due to the fast and accurate testing performance, the new testing slip will find wide applications in on-the-spot screening activities at Customs, airports and railway stations. It will also be extremely useful in rural and remote areas in the middle and west sections of the nation that do not have matched medical solutions.
SARS Genome Chip
Recently, Benyuan Zhengyang Genetic Technology Co. Ltd., a virus genetic carrier research base under the National 863 Program, made the debut of its full-sequence coronavirus genome chip, the first of its kind in the world, along with an associated testing system. Highly sensitive and offering full testing of SARS viruses, the chip has covered the full sequence of the SARS virus genome and is able to monitor the genome variations in the testing. It is believed that the chip has provided a new technical line and approach for analyzing the differences among SARS viruses collected from different parts of the world and for tracking the spread of viruses and their origins after possible mutations.
In addition to the chip, the associated testing system has succeeded with online data analyzing through its Internet based open data analysis and statistics platform. Administrative authorities may be able to take advantage of the system review and analyze all online clients' testing data, as well as being able to update the information in the database at any time.
It is worth mentioning that the system is also able to detect different SARS viruses from varieties of samples in a fast and accurate manner as the result of its full sequence coverage. The system is not only good for earlier stage SARS viruses testing but also desirable for quarantine examination, environment monitoring, food security, scientific research, and clinical testing.
Coronavirus Particles Separated
The Public Sanitation School under Fudan University and Shanghai Municipal Disease Prevention and Control Center has successfully separated the particle samples of coronaviruses from multi-cell cultures of pharynx samples of the first SARS patient diagnosed in the city. The separation result has confirmed that the viruses the patient carried are not the common flu-like viruses A and B, para-influenza viruses or respiratory plasmodium viruses.
Scientists have confirmed, on the basis of separated particle samples, that the virus causing the spread of SARS is a new coronavirus unknown to the human being. The new virus shows 64% of resemblance against the nucleic acid of coronaviruses previously discovered with the remaining 36% unmatched. So far Chinese scientists have found that the new coronaviruses have more similarities to the ones discovered in oxen or rats than the ones in humans. The successful separation of coronavirus particle samples is believed to have laid a solid foundation for further understanding of the mutations and characteristics of the viruses and their spread line. This will allow for the development of earlier diagnosing methods, screening, preventive and treatment medicines, and animal modeling.
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