The pandemic has changed the world in more ways than one and clean air is now a priority. Not only are people more aware of wearing a face mask to protect themselves, the quality of indoor air has become more important than ever before. But can high-quality indoor air provide protection against coronavirus?
Reduces the Risk of Transmission
Air conditioning does not eliminate the risk of coronavirus transmission completely. However, it can reduce the risk of transmission and depending on the HVAC system and its constituents — air purification is not only possible, it is a necessity. This does not only apply to air conditioning systems, but also residences and businesses that ventilate rooms on a regular basis. So air quality is a major concern including the transmission of any virus and bacteria.
In short, proper ventilation will reduce the amount of the virus that is present into the air. Naturally, this means that it has a direct impact on aerosol transmission. However, it is worth noting that good ventilation and air conditioning does not have any impact on droplet transmission and contact transmission. Contact transmission happens when a person touches a surface that contains the virus, while droplet transmission happens by being within 2 meters of someone who coughs or sneezes and who is infected with the virus.
How Can I Further Reduce the Risk of Aerosol Transmission?
To reduce the amount of viruses in indoor air, there are many other things you can do. So, aside from cleaning air conditioner and ventilating rooms on a regular basis, here are some additional things you could do to keep aerosol transmission in your home and at work at an absolute minimum.
Reduce Contact Risk
Naturally, one of the best places to avoid aerosol transmission is by not letting any infected person in your workplace or your home. Of course, since some infected people are asymptomatic, their presence can go undetected until it is too late. Regular lateral flow testing in the workplace could pick up on some of those asymptomatic cases and prevent further infection. At home, it is usually best not to have any friends or family over inside. If you do want to meet, try to stick to your garden.
Clean Air Starts With The Indoor Air Environment
The number of people in an indoor environment can also increase the risk of aerosol transmission. Obviously, this is quite the logical statement. The more people are present in one given environment, the more people in one environment could be infected with the virus. In addition to that, more people could become infected with the virus at one given time.
How To Determine The Areas That Need More Ventilation and Increase Clean Air Circulation?
As mentioned earlier, poor ventilation can be outright hazardous in this day and age. So, how do you identify the areas that are subject to poor ventilation?
First and foremost, check your home or workplace for areas where there is no mechanical or natural ventilation. For example, a room with no windows or outdoor access. It can also include rooms without any vents or air conditioner.
Older Cooling Systems Don’t Promote Clean Air
Some cooling systems, especially older ones only circulate old air into the home or office. Naturally, these systems are now a bit more dangerous with the current pandemic. Recirculation systems should therefore be updated to provide better indoor air quality and should include the addition of air purification within the system.
Air Purification In Modern Systems
Due to the risk of transmission of viruses and dangerous bacteria it is now more important than ever to ensure that your system us up to date with all the necessary precautions you can employ to reduce transmission. If your system is older, it may not be suitable in today's world and would need replacement rather than repair. Air purification units can now be installed in modern units to combat the spread of infection and to destroy viruses that are spread by aerosol means. Units such as the Reme Halo have now proven to destroy COVID-19 and other virus pathogens.
Another way to check ventilation levels inside a home or office is to check the levels of carbon monoxide. Higher levels of carbon monoxide indicate poor ventilation, which immediately tells you which areas to address.
Contact The Professionals
Does your system need an upgrade? Or do you want to ensure the indoor air quality in your home or workplace is the best it can be? Contact the professionals at Poe Air today and get your quality indoor air guarantee for your home in Florida.