- Thermo Fisher Scientific...
Isolation, social-distancing, quarantine, and lockdowns are terms we have heard, witnessed, and lived through in the past two years. These have impacted our physical and mental well-being and have had psychological and economic consequences as well. As we gradually get back to normal, the experience is likely to range from being exhilarating to daunting.
How rapidly can we ‘normalize’? To mask or unmask? To socialize or to maintain a safe distance? To have larger group gatherings or invite select few or have none? Will we have a fourth wave? These questions are difficult to come to grips with, especially with the contagious Omicron variant still at large in many countries says Amit Chopra, managing director, India and South Asia in a conversation with ET Edge Insights.
Amit further elaborated that these questions are real and bother many around us. But, unfortunately, after more than two years in isolation, many people have developed a close understanding of what it means to isolate socially and are reluctant to return to their former lives despite being fully vaccinated. Psychologists refer to it as the “cave syndrome.”
As per report from the American Psychological Association 49 percent of surveyed people reported feeling uneasy about adjusting to in-person interaction once the pandemic was over. Furthermore, 46 percent of people said they don’t feel comfortable going back to living life like they used to before the pandemic.
Societies around the world witnessed a lot of hardships and challenges during COVID-19, resulting with even many fully vaccinated people finding it hard to return to the ‘old normal’.
ET Edge: The pandemic has catapulted questions surrounding the future of work, what according to you will reshape workforce trends in the coming decade.
Amit Chopra: The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped existing workforce trends and created new ones. It has accelerated the ‘Future of Work’. While the shift to remote work has been successful for many, there have also been reports of employees experiencing more loneliness, burnout, and work distress. One clear trend emerging across the world is that of a ‘Hybrid workforce’. However, managing a hybrid workforce is easier said than done. One area of concern is ensuring everyone’s safety and the ability to test to make sure colleagues are not asymptomatic is essential. At Thermo Fisher, we create value by transforming collaborative knowledge into products and services for customers. So, we are flexible to making appropriate changes for our future, and it’s not one-size-fits-all but, proximity is a crucial element.
So broadly, for people to come back, a crucial approach is to establish confidence by creating safer indoor spaces with reliable screening, testing, and surveillance mechanisms. Apart from installing controls such as good ventilation, social distancing and cleaning and disinfection protocols, a more robust and effective strategy is needed to identify the presence of the virus in the air. It is essential to have autonomous systems that are self-monitoring to detect the presence of the virus that reinforce safety trust and encourage employees to use public places freely.
ET Edge: What are the solutions from Thermo Scientific that helps monitor and thereby minimize air transmission
Amit Chopra: As a company, we offer a broad range of products and solutions that are used for tracking and testing. One such effective system is the Thermo Scientific Aerosol Sense Sampler, an in-air pathogen surveillance solution that identifies the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the air. The Aerosol Sampler makes an effective tool to control the outbreak of the virus in public places and in closed indoor areas such as airports, malls, hospitals, schools, and offices. It also provides an additional level of protection in areas of public gathering and high-risk transmission settings like concerts. In the case of the COVID -19 pandemic, it is known that the most significant prevention mechanism has been restricting airborne transmission. Airborne transmission limits the spread of infection risk indoors and is an effective strategy to control the spread of the virus.
The AerosolSense™ Sampler – a lightweight device, when paired with individual PCR testing, delivers timely and highly reliable insight into in-air pathogen presence for monitoring and improving facility safety protocols. The sampler tests indoor air for SARS-CoV-2, Flu A/B and/or RSV, significantly helping environmental surveillance protect communities while maintaining business and operational continuity.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it has become clear that relying on only one layer of protection to safeguard public health will not be sufficient. Neither will it help win the confidence of people. To make public spaces risk-free, a combination of layered tools is required. These advanced solutions such as Aerosol Sampler can go a long way in helping communities get back to normal, get away from their caves, and live with confidence.
ET: The pandemic does not seem to be going anywhere very soon, could you please elaborate on the relevance of the system on health safety.
Amit Chopra: It is natural for people to be apprehensive to return to normal amidst the constant fear of probable new variants, semi-vaccinated populations, and varying levels of compliance with COVID-19 personal safety protocols. It is therefore important that easy-to-use, highly reliable solutions such as the AerosoSense Sampler be available in public places such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools, businesses, and government institutions to identify the presence of in-air pathogens quickly. This in turn allows for safety protocols to be put into action, validated, or strengthened. These measures will add a new level of safety in monitoring the pandemic and put people at ease.
At Thermo Fisher, our work has a strong purpose, and we are committed to delivering meaningful outcomes, be it fighting the pandemic, protecting the environment, or making public places safer. We are well-positioned to implement new strategies, continue developing innovative solutions at an accelerated pace, and stay committed to supporting our customers and serving science. It has been a powerful reminder of the pivotal role we play and reinforces our mission to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer.
