![Have you seen it? Coronavirus reduced by 99% in 2 hours! [World's first] New standard chair upholstery for the COVID-19 era](/resources/column/article/viraloff-chair-zhangji/assets/img/viraloff-chair-zhangji_kv.webp "Have you seen it? Coronavirus reduced by 99% in 2 hours! [World's first] New standard chair upholstery for the COVID-19 era")
Is your office taking steps to prevent viruses?
With the topic of "returning to the office" becoming a hot topic, there is a demand for an environment where workers can truly work in the office with peace of mind. Of course, individual consideration is essential, such as installing disinfectant alcohol and thorough cleaning, but as the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, many people are thinking about taking fundamental measures rather than just temporary ones.
So what we want to think about is replacing office furniture with "With Corona Specifications". Among them, the one thing that workers who come to the office will always touch is the "chair". This time, we will introduce a chair that is "perfect for the With Corona era". We also spoke to the development team.
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Text by WORKERS happiness editorial department, Chie Aikawa
World's first! Coronavirus infections reduced by 99% in just 2 hours
The secret is Polygiene ViralOff, the latest antiviral processing technology from Polygiene. It is a fabric that has been proven to be effective against the new coronavirus. The silver ion-based fibers reduce the number of the new coronavirus by 99% in just two hours.
This "ViralOff" processed fabric has been used as upholstery (fabric that covers the surface of the chair) on ITOKI office chairs. This is the first time in the world that furniture with the "ViralOff" processing technology has been introduced.
This is a truly revolutionary evolution for office chairs, which are often touched by multiple people. With the COVID-19 pandemic still in flux, we have received very positive feedback from people looking for "office furniture that they can truly trust."
- This processing does not suppress the activity of viruses.
- Test method: ISO 18184:2019 Test subjects: ATCC VR-1679 (H3N2), SARS-CoV-2
The technology needed "right now" - what is the history of its development?
We spoke with Mr.Norihiro Teramoto of ITOKI CORPORATION 's Product Development Headquarters, one of the development team members, about how the chair with "ViralOff" processed upholstery came about.
Mr.Teramoto:Polygiene began testing anti-viral fabric treatments around the time of the SARS outbreak. The testing that we did back then was the basis for our early response to the current COVID-19 outbreak.
When the COVID-19 pandemic first began, no one expected the pandemic to last this long. However, one of ITOKI's sales members strongly advocated in a cross-departmental project that "this technology will definitely be necessary in the future," which led to early adoption.
-I see, so the seeds of development were planted quite early on. How did you select the chairs to feature the "ViralOff" treated upholstery?
Mr.Teramoto: In order to deliver to as many customers as possible, we carefully selected our best-selling chairs. Chairs and upholstery fabrics have compatibility, so not just any chair will do. That's how we selected our lineup of five chairs: Nort Chair, Nona Chair, Torte R Chair, Monon Chair, and Eleck Chair/ Eleck SC Chair.
Thanks to you, our products have been featured on various news sites and we have received numerous inquiries from customers. As expected, there is a lot of attention being paid to "anti-virus," and we feel that it is urgent to propose "new normal offices." We are working hard to further expand our lineup so that we can continue to meet the needs of even more customers. Please look forward to our continued support!
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The ViralOff processed upholstery compatible chair is perfect for the office of the new era. It has been well received as it provides a fundamental measure against viruses while maintaining a comfortable feel. Now that workers are likely to say, "I'm worried so I don't want to go to the office," be sure to check it out for a safe office operation and a more advanced work-from-home environment!
