Given the risk of the coronavirus infection, the professional advice is to maximise the fresh supply into your home / office.
“The more fresh air, the less you’re running the risk of recirculating the virus through the building / property.” says Prof Cath Noakes of the University of Leeds and chair of the environmental panel of the government’s SAGE advisers, speaking in a personal capacity.
“Recent studies have shown that airborne transmission of COVID-19 presents a serious risk and could be a significant factor to the spread of the disease. Transmission can be either through large droplets or small airborne aerosol particles, which can be emitted when sneezing, coughing or talking. Small droplets remain in the air for longer and can travel further than large droplets and could therefore cause greater risk. Another prime method of transmission is through surface contact via hand-to-hard or hand-to-surface, which is why good sanitation is essential.
Evidence from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDPC) states that poor ventilation in confined indoor spaces is associated with increased transmission of respiratory infections, such as COVID-19. Studies of 318 outbreaks in China demonstrated that transmission in all but one case had occurred in indoor spaces.
The length of time that people stay in an indoor setting appears to increase the transmission rate. According to ECDC, research into an outbreak in a call centre in South Korea found there was a COVID-19 incidence rate of 43.5% amongst 216 employees on the ninth floor, which indicated extensive transmission in a crowded indoor workplace. Almost all those affected were seated on the same side of the ninth floor. Even though ninth floor staff had interacted with colleagues on other floors, the infection had not been transmitted, which suggested that length of time in contact is a major factor in its spread.
In another case in China, 23 out of 67 passengers on a bus were infected by one passenger. However, all passengers that were seated close to a window remained healthy, apart from the passenger sitting next to the infected case. This and further evidence have suggested that transmission of COVID-19 is more likely to occur in closed indoor spaces with poor ventilation.
Poorly ventilated buildings are those which will inevitably lead to ill occupants and never has this been truer than today, therefore ensuring homes are effectively ventilated is more important than ever.”
For more information on improving the air quality in your home / buildings – talk to Radon Protection UK on 0800 978 8435.