Under the present COVID-19 pandemic situation, in line with CSIR’s special efforts, its constituent lab CSIR-CECRI (Central Electrochemical Research Institute) at Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, has come out with helping hands to reach out to the society through scientific service in mitigating COVID-19. In the current situation, sanitizers, hospital assisting devices and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) are essential. In that direction CSIR-CECRI prepared series of lab made PPE that include hand sanitizer solutions, as per the WHO recommendations (Iso-propanol 75%, Glycerol 1.45%, Hydrogen peroxide 0.125% plus lemongrass oil for fragrance), hand wash solutions using coconut oil and sodium hypochlorite based disinfectant solutions. These solutions were packed in containers, printed for instructions to use and distributed to the needy organisations at free of cost.
So far, around 350 litres of hand sanitizers, 250 litres of hand wash solutions and 1,000 litres of hypo-disinfectants have been distributed. The beneficiaries include Karaikudi Municipal Corporation, Devakottai Municipal Corporation, Sivaganga Govt. Medical College Hospital, Govt. Hospital, Karaikudi, SP office Sivaganga and other police stations in and around Karaikudi, Taluk office and nearby Panchayat Unions and primary health centres from Sakkottai, Kottaiyur, R.S. Pattinam, Nerkuppai, few nationalised banks etc. CECRI plans to continue this distribution till the COVID-19 situation restores to normalcy.
In addition, CSIR-CECRI has recently started offering digital training to make face masks by interested rural women to help them as well as to cater to the needs of their neighbourhood. On the other hand, 3D printed face shield with reusable options has been in-house printed and gifted to the Dispensary staff of CSIR-CECRI to protect them effectively from sneeze, cough and aerosol communication of the patients.
CSIR-CECRI is tying up with industry to scale up the mass production and has partnered with a company 3D Lycan, Bangalore for face shield. CSIR-CECRI is now committed to arrive at a synergistically improved version of face shield with antimicrobial efficiency within the shortest possible period. CSIR-CECRI is also transferring the technology of one of the popular CSIR-CECRI technologies on the electrochemical synthesis of hypo-chlorite (disinfectant).
