Fresh air is unquestionably important to people; we require it to live. In an ideal world, we'd be outside all of the time, breathing clean, pure air. Unfortunately, this is not the case for many people. Because of our employment and the climate, we live in, we are likely to spend a significant amount of time indoors, necessitating the use of a proper ventilation system. It's also common knowledge that we utilised ventilation systems to decrease the risk of exposure to any airborne contaminants.
A recent study has allegedly found viral RNA relating to the Covid-19 virus on ventilation ducts and filters, they also found the same trace contaminants up to 16 meters away from the patient. The study concluded that well-maintained ventilation systems with the appropriate filters dilute the virus's concentration in a given location and disseminate it about well beyond the point where there is a large enough concentration of the virus to really transfer Covid-19 to anyone.
So, we should definitely not be misinformed and therefore scared that HVAC systems are spreading COVID. Ventilation is in fact key in this quest to control the spread of covid, especially in healthcare facilities where the density of covid infections are much higher. Clean flowing air is an absolute must, not only to dilute contaminants but also to provide uncontaminated oxygen to oxygen deprived covid patients.
Having said that, the ventilation system should be well-maintained and should be working as expected. Filters should be in place, and if the filters are going to be used in a covid contaminated area, those filters should be of a certain specification and the highest quality. Not all ventilation systems are able to move air through really high-efficiency filters, but most systems can deal with filters that are able to control the virus. So in general, ventilation systems are used to minimize the risk in indoor environments. They should not increase the risk, and if that is the case then it would be due to negligence and lack of maintenance which in the case of Covid will be tragic and unacceptable.
SFE Services is a company that specializes in the upkeep of various types of ventilation systems. We will make sure that the air in your environment is safe and up to code. Make an appointment with one of our ventilation specialists today.
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