Sleeping with the window open reduces the risk of COVID-19 by up to half. Why?

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Face masks, keeping distance and frequent hand washing or disinfection are the basic tools in the fight against coronavirus. It turns out there is one more method that is worth including in the three above. Scientists have calculated that its use can reduce the risk of infection by up to half. The method is trivial – air the apartment often, sleep with the window open. Why does it work and how?

1. Good ventilation of rooms should be, in addition to wearing protective masks, distance and hand hygiene, one of the main tools to protect against infection
2. Experts warn that in poorly ventilated rooms, transmission of the virus may increase by up to a third in winter
3. Sleeping with the window open can not only reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection, but also improve sleep quality, learning and concentration
4. You can find more up-to-date information on the TvoiLokony home page

Coronavirus and closed premises – what is the risk of infection?

Fall and winter may favor COVID-19. It turns out that the cooler and wetter the SARS-CoV-2 is, the more vital (active) it is and the easier it is to spread. There is one more reason to fear winter in times of a pandemic. At this time of the year, we spend most of our time indoors, which also favors the transmission of the pathogen. – The longer we stay in one room, the more likely we are to be infected – a few weeks ago, a specialist in infectious diseases at the University of Washington, prof. John Lynch.

Why is the risk of infection increasing in the room? Coronavirus is transmitted by airborne saliva droplets – after they are expelled, e.g. by coughing or sneezing, they are a carrier of the pathogen. Immediately after the droplets are emitted, the most vulnerable to infection are those closest to the “carrier”. However, as time goes on, tiny particles spread throughout the room, posing a threat to others in attendance as well.

1. Lower temperatures and wind favor the coronavirus. What is the conclusion? Disturbing conclusions

The risk is greater when the room is less well ventilated. Experts warn that in poorly ventilated rooms, transmission of the virus may increase by up to a third in winter and call for frequent ventilation of homes (and workplaces), especially when living with other people. When talking about the need to ventilate, specialists also mean keeping the windows open overnight.

Sleeping with your window open can reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection, but not only that

Last year, scientists from the Environmental Modeling Group published a paper that showed that “if the ventilation rate is doubled, exposure to potentially infectious aerosols is halved”.

Prof. Linda Bauld, a public health expert at the University of Edinburgh, points out that air exchange in the room by keeping the window open day and night can have such a “significant” impact on the risk of COVID-19 infection that it is worth treating it as one of the main tools protecting against disease, especially in the winter season – apart from wearing protective masks, keeping distance and hand hygiene.

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Sleeping with your window open can not only reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection. There are more benefits. Dr. Shaun Fitzgerald from the University of Cambridge points out that this habit can improve the quality of sleep and, consequently, functioning during the day, including the ability to maintain concentration.

Of course, not everyone may like sleeping with the window open or constantly ventilating the apartment, especially now, when it gets colder and colder. Family doctor Dr. Louise Selby has some advice. Although she herself emphasizes that the window in her bedroom is open all year round and advises patients to do the same, those who do not want to ventilate the rooms so intensively can open the windows, e.g. every hour for five or ten minutes. Such ventilation of the room will have a significant impact on the quality of the air in it.

Coronavirus. When is airing the rooms especially important?

Taking care of ventilating the apartments was part of the British government’s information campaign «Hands. Face. Space ». It was aimed at limiting the spread of the coronavirus in the coming winter season. Experts recommend that you open windows frequently for 10-15 minutes (or keep them open all the time). ‘As it gets colder and wetter, letting fresh air into rooms at short intervals helps reduce the risk of coronavirus infection in our homes,’ emphasizes UK Health Minister Jo Churchill.

When is airing the rooms especially important? We already know that good ventilation is of great importance in reducing the risk of indoor coronavirus. It is also worth remembering that there are situations in which airing the apartment is a necessity. “It is important to ventilate your room if someone in your home has the virus, as this can help prevent contamination of other household members,” said Dr. Amir Khan, a doctor. – You should also remember to ventilate when someone visits your home and immediately after leaving – he adds.

The Ministry of Health also appeals to ventilate places where we spend a lot of time, recalling the application of the “DDMA + W” principle. It consists of:

1. social distance (at least 1,5 m from other people)
2. disinfection (washing hands with soap and water or disinfecting them, as well as cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces and objects)
3. mask (mask, scarf or visor, which should cover the nose and mouth indoors and on the street)
4. STOP COVID – ProteGO Safe application (voluntary, free and fully secure application that helps in the fight against coronavirus).
5. airing places where we spend a lot of time.

When is intensive airing of the apartment not advisable?

– Intensive airing of the apartment, however, is not beneficial for everyone – emphasizes Dr Shaun Fitzgerald. – You need to ventilate the room, but don’t let the interior get too cold. Then you will have to take into account other health problems – she warns.

So what temperature is optimal here? According to the Daily Mail, people over 65 or struggling with disease should sleep at a temperature of at least 18 degrees Celsius.

“Cold air alone does not cause disease, but it can irritate the cells that line the upper respiratory tract, making people with asthma, for example, more susceptible to infection,” said John Oxford, professor of virology at Queen Mary University of London.

You may be interested in:

1. Are you vaccinated but your loved one has COVID-19? Dr. Grzesiowski tells you what to do
2. The priest encourages vaccinations. “Faith does not work miracles, but it kills”
3. A famous doctor has COVID-19 after vaccination. He described how he was feeling. “I would compare it to a hangover after seven beers”

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