Contents
In line with its mission, the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony makes every effort to provide reliable medical content supported by the latest scientific knowledge. The additional flag “Checked Content” indicates that the article has been reviewed by or written directly by a physician. This two-step verification: a medical journalist and a doctor allows us to provide the highest quality content in line with current medical knowledge.
Our commitment in this area has been appreciated, among others, by by the Association of Journalists for Health, which awarded the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony with the honorary title of the Great Educator.
In the colder months, whether we like it or not, we spend more and more time indoors. Therefore, in addition to observing the rules of hygiene, frequent hand washing and maintaining social distance, we should take care of the air we breathe. Airing rooms can effectively protect against coronavirus infection. We can take care of good ventilation in five ways.
- The supply of fresh air to confined spaces is essential for the safety of workers during a pandemic
- It is worth finding out how air conditioning works in our office
- The coronavirus downloaded from the filters will provide information about people infected in the building
- You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page
If you notice that the air is stale when you enter a room, it is a sign that there is something wrong with the ventilation. Insufficient air exchange increases the risk of coronavirus infection. COVID-19 transmission is common in confined spaces, as the aerosol containing the viruses remains in the air for a long time.
It is optimal for health to provide each worker with 10 liters of fresh air per second. Now it is more important than ever.
“If your office is stuffy, just get up and leave,” said Dr. Hywel Davies, technical director of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers in a commentary to the BBC.
Dr Davis adds, “Clean air flow is essential. If someone in the building is infected, he exhales the infected aerosol, but by supplying a lot of fresh air from the outside, we dilute it. Thus reducing the risk of infection to other employees.
- Where is it easiest to “catch” the virus? Don’t sit in the corners
The simplest air conditioner (split type) is a slender white box mounted on the wall or on the ceiling. It works in such a way that it draws in air from the room, cools it and then blows it out again. In other words – it recirculates air. If you drop by an office equipped with this type of device for a while, you don’t have to worry. Worse if you spend several hours there.
The study conducted, among others in a Chinese restaurant proved that such an air conditioner spreads the virus. An asymptomatic customer came to the premises, i.e. an infected person who had not yet experienced COVID-19 symptoms. He released the virus while breathing and talking, and air conditioners pushed him around the room. As a result, nine people were infected.
Dr. Davies notes, “If there was an outside air supply, most likely fewer people would become infected, if at all.”
Can there be enough fresh air in a modern building with sealed windows at all? The ventilation system sucks the used air out of the rooms, and then delivers it through pipes to the roof air handling unit. There, the fresh air from outside mixes with the “old” inside air and is sent back to the building.
Given the risk of coronavirus infection, it is advisable to provide as much fresh air as possible.
– It is best if the ventilation supplies one hundred percent or almost one hundred percent of outside air – says prof. Cath Noakes of the University of Leeds, chairwoman of the SAGE government advisory team. – The more fresh air there is, the lower the risk of virus recirculation in the building.
The disadvantage of supplying rooms with only fresh air is the cost as it has to be heated in winter and cooled in summer, which requires energy.
- FFP2 mask. What does it look like, how much does it cost, how long can you wear?
The modern ventilation system is equipped with filters, but they are not very reliable.
In the United States, researchers at Oregon Health & Science University found that coronaviruses settle in filters, and some even make their way through them.
Prof. Kevin van den Wymelenberg, who led the project, believes that taking filter swabs may reveal if someone infected is working in the building.
Thus, in South Korea, in a call center on the 11th floor of an office building, it detected that one person had infected 90 colleagues.
If the filters were checked more frequently, the presence of the virus could have been detected sooner.
- Sneezing like an “atomic bomb”. Droplets can go really far
While fresh air is essential to avoid contamination, one expert in modeling its movement says the reality is more complicated.
Nick Wirth designed Formula 1 racing cars and now advises supermarkets and food companies to manage airflow to keep people safe.
According to him, an infected person sitting by an open window can spread the virus to others.
– If you open a window, which direction will the air flow go? – he asks. – People should not be directly in the line of its flow. If it flows horizontally and carries viruses with it, it could have dire consequences.
However, prof. Cath Noakes believes that the benefits of fresh air, which dilutes viral aerosols, outweigh the risks. Yes, an open window can lead to the virus reaching more people, but in smaller, less risky amounts.
This may interest you:
- A disastrous ride. 8 people infected, one died
- This is how the coronavirus spreads in the supermarket and while jogging
- We’ll even get infected during a short conversation. The most dangerous utterance of one voice
The content of the medTvoiLokony website is intended to improve, not replace, the contact between the Website User and their doctor. The website is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Before following the specialist knowledge, in particular medical advice, contained on our Website, you must consult a doctor. The Administrator does not bear any consequences resulting from the use of information contained on the Website. Do you need a medical consultation or an e-prescription? Go to halodoctor.pl, where you will get online help – quickly, safely and without leaving your home.Now you can use e-consultation also free of charge under the National Health Fund.