O2 Cure, a renowned air purification solution provider under Zeco Aircon Limited, extended its support to ITC Hotels Group in providing a safe environment for its clients amidst and post-pandemic, by making its properties immune to airborne cross-infection such as flu, microbes, and viruses transmitted from one person to another. As per the association, Zeco Aircon has equipped more than 20 ITC Hotel properties in India with over 650 PHI-Cells (Photohydroionization Technology) to decontaminate 150 million ft2 of air. The RGF’s (a US-based environmental design and manufacturing company) patented active purification PHI-Cell technology has been tested successfully on MRSA, Swine Flu-H1N1, Avian Flu, Norwalk, SARS-CoV-1, MERS, and SARS-CoV-2 viruses by 99% and 97.48% by the Bio-Analysis, USA and CCMB CSIR virology labs, India, respectively. This technology is capable of eliminating airborne pathogens. While airborne microbes spread using air as a medium, PHI-Cell technology uses the same medium for decontamination. It is one of the few technologies tested by global virology labs to neutralize the deadly virus in the air and on surfaces. Further tests by a California virology lab showed that they could neutralize the effect of a sneeze within 3 ft at a rate of 99%, making it the most advanced active purification technology. Moreover, the product’s efficiency is tested and approved by IIT for public health safety and maintaining IAQ.
ITC Hotels has put many efforts into providing a safe and healthy environment for its clients, for which, in May 2021, it was awarded the platinum level certification in infection risk management from Norway-based DNV, becoming the first hotel chain in the world to receive the credible certificate. ITC is using PHI technology along with other technologies for the health and safety of its patrons and employees.
Since the outbreak, Zeco, through O2 Cure, has been relentlessly working towards improving air quality and safeguarding people against pollutants like particulate matter, allergens, microbes, and other airborne infections across all sectors, right from hospitality and education to IT, healthcare, public places, public transport, and more, with its incomparable solutions. They want the country and the economy to flourish and are willing to provide the means for preserving the health of all.
The pandemic had an intense impact on the hospitality sector, with footfalls coming to a sudden halt. The O2 Cure’s solution helped ITC Hotels to enhance their hygiene and safety norms and neutralize cross infections, one of the major reasons for social distancing during the pandemic, which are now of paramount importance. Closed premises are at a major risk due to the increasing sick building syndrome and recirculation of air. The PHI technology, with more than three decades of successfully tested data, will be able to fulfil this need and help keep the hotel free from cross-contamination. The first sampling was done at the pinnacle property, ITC Maurya, Delhi, and extensive tests were carried out on site by NABL-certified labs. Looking at the promising results, effectiveness, sustainable life and maintenance-free service costs of the product, it was deployed at 22 different flagship ITC Hotels across the country, keeping restaurants, lobbies and other public areas as their first priority.
