Zentek Completes Return on Investment Analysis for Canadian Healthcare System

GUELPH, ON / ACCESSWIRE / October 17, 2023 / Zentek Ltd. ("Zentek" or the "Company") (Nasdaq:ZTEK)(TSXV:ZEN), a graphene technology development and commercialization company is pleased to announce completion of a study on the potential savings for the Canadian healthcare system from adopting ZenGUARD-enhanced air filters. This analysis builds on the previously disclosed study announced on September 11, 2023, highlighting the potential return on investment from reduced absenteeism costs associated with the enhanced viral filtration from using the Company's ZenGUARD technology.

Key Findings

Using publicly available third-party data and predictive risk assessment modelling incorporating respiratory infectious disease probabilities, the Company estimates that using a ZenGUARD-enhanced MERV 9 filter instead of a regular MERV 9 filter may save the Canadian healthcare system approximately $13,752 for each 10,000 square foot workspace with 75 occupants. This is in addition to the previously announced absenteeism and productivity losses experienced for an office space of this size and occupancy ($15,017).

"Poor indoor air quality and the risk of transmission remain a significant challenge for the health, wellness, and productivity of people around the world. While the economic costs to businesses related to absenteeism are substantial, the impact doesn't end there," commented Greg Fenton, CEO of Zentek. In certain instances - especially for people with other medically complex conditions or those that are immunocompromised - medical attention or hospitalizations may be necessary. Increased frequency of visits to medical clinics and emergency rooms, along with potential hospitalizations and use of intensive care units, comes with significant financial cost and increased burden on our healthcare workers. This is a large-scale problem requiring several solutions. Our goal is to help address this problem with a product that is incredibly simple to incorporate and does not require additional equipment or energy consumption."

Study Background

In addition to the assumptions disclosed in its September 11, 2023, press release, the Company used the peer-reviewed articles and government statistics below to estimate the economic impact to the Canadian healthcare system:

• Infection Frequency: Rate of COVID-19 infections in the Canadian population based on cases from February 2020 to April 2023
• Hospitalizations, Emergency Department (ED) Visits and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Admissions: Number of individuals who require ED visits, hospitalization and ICU admission due to COVID-19 and associated cost per case as reported by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)
• In-Hospital Death Frequency: Canada-wide CIHI data from April 2022 to March 2023
• In-Hospital Death Cost: Data for Ontario published by the Public Library of Sciences and adjusted for inflation
• Self Care: Cost data from British Columbia and Ontario related to self care for individuals who do not visit the hospital, which could include over-the-counter medications, telehealth services, or other non-hospital medical services

The Company's current economic impact estimates do not include potential reduction in transmission risk associated with other pathogens like Influenza A/B, Rhinovirus and RSV.