THE Scottish Government has kept the door open to the possibility of using a century-old technology to help in the fight against coronavirus, it has been revealed.
Highland Scottish Labour MSP David Stewart was speaking after Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said in a written answer that, although there were no current plans to examine negative ion ionisers as part of the Covid-19 armoury, Health Facilities Scotland would suggest they were included as part of a wider examination of “alternative technologies”.
“The response appears to be fairly supportive and it certainly doesn’t shut the door on the possibility of negative ion ionisers being used in the fight against Covid-19,” said Stewart.
“The Cabinet Secretary advises that work is taking place looking into the effectiveness of air scrubbers and Health Facilities Scotland will suggest ion ionisers are included as part of that programme.
“This is welcome but time is of the essence here and I am therefore trying to have this matter raised on the floor of the Parliament next week to see when the findings from this work will be known.”
He said he would be keeping an eye on potential developments and would continue to raise awareness of the potential for the devices.
Health activist and physicist Pete Gavin, from Inverness, who has been campaigning for the wider use of the devices against coronavirus, gave Freeman’s statement a guarded response.
He said the Scottish Government has a duty of care in the workplace, not least to their NHS workers.
“I feel a more committed engaged response from the Cabinet Health Secretary would have included a request that David Stewart forward the peer-reviewed research on negative ion ionisers he referenced in his question,” Gavin told The National.
“I cautiously welcome the interest in air-sanitation of Health Facilities Scotland, but urge them to look very thoroughly at the multiple scientific papers showing the outstanding results of negative ion ionisers.
“I remind Jeane Freeman that proactive urgent, implemented action would have and will save lives.”
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