Tag: coronavirus

The Covid Defense Initiative

On By gyonas2 Comments

Today I went to my local drug store and got my latest Covid vaccine in hopes that if I am infected in the future, my symptoms will be mild. It occurred to me that after several years, we still face a continuing and evolving global heath, economic, and social threat created by the mutating respiratory virus. In the July 6, 2020 post of this blog, I proposed a multi-\layer defense system to respond to the emerging threat. I am disappointed that I have not seen a system that is as yet available. I believe that an enhanced national Covid defense program beyond what now exists for treatment and vaccination development,  should be focused on systems engineering to effectively deal with this problem. 

I believe that a coordinated effort should be initiated working with the existing bioscience community but calling for the active participation of the nation’s engineering and industrial talents. I am proposing the development of an information-based  multilayer defense approach consisting of a system of systems. The immediate need in this system is real time high-sensitivity and high-specificity virus detection system. The location and temporal detection would be coupled with a national surveillance system that tracks virus detection and syndromic data collection. With millions of ubiquitous instant inputs of data to the national surveillance and data collection system, (NSDS) the next level of defense would be coordinated to respond in order to apply immediate antiviral treatment and protect involved facilities. 

I propose that the already existing self protection respiratory protection mask approach be enhanced to include methods for detection of the virus as well as instant defeat of its activity. The first step in the development of this Smart Mask would be the inclusion of detection and location of the event. A highly specific sensor would apply nano/bio technology to collect and analyze the virus both exhaled into the mask and inhaled from the background. A miniature power source and GPS would provide this information to a smart phone, and to the surveillance system. The material in the mask can include anti viral materials as well as electrical, bio-optical, and chemical methods to defeat the virus to prevent further spread. In order to initiate the development and manufacture of Smart Mask, I propose an initial step involving existing sensor technology to identify a threat with high sensitivity but limited specificity.  This data on all respiratory diseases would be provided to the NSDS to initially develop the vital data management  and response approaches. 

In parallel with this activity, the high specificity sensor would be developed and tested in vitro with the virus. Once the needed level of specificity is achieved, the sensor would be incorporated in the initial Smart Mask and a sufficient number of masks would be manufactured  for field testing in a variety of environments using human subjects but with a non active but representative virus. The next step would involve industry to produce tests for deployment and extensive field testing, and then manufacture, distribution, and support for the capability.  The same sensor and information management  technology could be incorporated in HVAC systems to provide detection of the virus in public and private buildings, with immediate attention to school buildings.  

The proposed initiative will require secure information and data management, materials science, microelectronics, bio science, and systems engineering coordination that is already available in the national engineering community but would require a coordinating office for this Covid Defense Initiative.  

Introducing the COVID Defense Initiative (CDI)

On By gyonas4 Comments

Gerry Yonas introduces COVID Defense Initiative
Illustration by Jenna Gibson

On March 23, 1983, President Ronald Reagan gave a televised address on national security that surprised everyone as he challenged “the scientific community who gave us nuclear weapons to turn their great talents now to the cause of mankind and world peace to give us the means of rendering these nuclear weapons impotent and obsolete.” His brief words led to the creation of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) and initiated my involvement in a giant program that, although it did not lead to an effective missile defense, did effectively flummox the Soviet Union.

Now we face a global health, economic, political and social threat that could possibly be as risky for all of us as the strategic missile threat we faced in the 1980s. I think we need to approach this real threat from a systems engineering approach, starting with a presidential call for action not just to the bioscience community, but also to the nation’s engineering community.

What I am suggesting is a multilayer defense involving detection and response similar to the concepts we created in the 1983 Fletcher Study. I described this study in my book “Death Rays and Delusions” and the basic approach was an information-based layered system of systems. The needed technology did not exist at that time and is still not available, so the notion of applying this methodology to a very dangerous, contagious and asymptomatic virus may seem a bit unrealistic The biggest deficiencies at that time were the need for space deployed high sensitivity and high specificity sensors, directed energy and kinetic interceptors and the command and control for the entire system.

I may be overly optimistic, but I am suggesting that the COVID Defense Initiative can provide an extremely useful approach. The virus defense technology needed for this system is no more available today than the technology we needed 35 years ago for the SDI, but now is the time for the national commitment and investment to make it real.

I envision a future system beginning with a readily available real time virus detection system. The  reliable sensors would be coupled through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Syndromic Surveillance Program to other symptomatic measurements and would provide the means to identify the threat and track it using millions of other simultaneous data sources.

Facility design would be required to prevent the infected person from entering an otherwise virus free location. A next step would be an immediate antiviral treatment  that might be provided using an inhaler. If the detection, reporting and treatment are included in a widely available system of systems, we could achieve a highly effective defense system that could be coupled with a vaccine to reduce the probability of infection. This multilayer approach would reduce the probability of spreading of the disease. As in our multilayer SDI system concept, there would still be a threat, but the probability of infection would become acceptably small .

Multi-layer missile defense and the coronavirus

On By gyonas7 Comments

My suggested missile defense approach to defense against the coronavirus would require a layered defense involving a  futuristic breathalyzer and inhaler.

I assume the virus is mostly transmitted by droplets in coughs, but the problem of pneumonia is caused by virus in the lungs,  not the nose or throat.  So I suggest the first layer of defense would be to examine a person who tries to enter a previously sterilized facility through a secure positive pressure  revolving door. The interior of the revolving door would be sterilized to intercept any virus on the person.

The person would first blow into a breath analyzer that would capture the air from the lungs.  After a strong exhale into the collector, a breath analyzer would detect any virus in exhaled droplets. An as-yet-to-be-developed sensor could be an instant  laser induced fluorescence and spectral analyses.  I assume the fluorescence is unique, but this needs to be determined. This is similar to the mid course discrimination problem where we require an excellent ROC curve.

This sensor could be embodied in a miniaturized virus  breathalyzer including a miniature laser and light spectrum analyzer. If the sensor is very sensitive, but not very specific, an  RNA based very specific real time sensor  might  be necessary after the first  positive reading.

If the virus is detected, the next layer would trigger the intercept of the virus. This would be an inhaler function possibly attached to the analyzer that sprays a virus killing drug into the lungs. Such drugs have  already been demonstrated in vitro and are being tested in hospitals.

If the result is a true negative, the person is allowed to enter the already certified facility. The next layer is needed if the person is detected as a true positive, and after treatment with the inhaler,  entrance is prohibited by the door.

The next layer of defense begins with a GPS labeled  signal that is sent to the defense management computer. Information giving the detection and treatment  information then permits contact  tracking and follow up of the person.