RADIO FEATURE: Varsity Home Service president Robert Bellini was recently invited to share his expert knowledge on this important topic during the Plugged Into Long Island talk show on WBAB & WBLI. To learn more about how to create a healthier and safer home environment for your family, listen to the episode here.
We constantly hear in the news that the actions we should take to reduce our risk of being infected with COVID-19 include wearing a mask, social distancing, and washing our hands. While all of this is important, a crucial component that is often overlooked is the protection measures you can implement in your own home– a segment of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ).
DID YOU KNOW?
Recent NYS data found that nearly 75% of new COVID-19 cases are being generated through households & indoor social gatherings, as opposed to general community spread.
Why is the coronavirus a larger threat inside of the home at present?
- The winter season brings shorter days, colder temperatures and drier air. These are optimal conditions for virus survival and growth.
- More time is being spent inside the home. Activities have moved indoors due to the cold weather. More significantly, the new lifestyle of working from home and remote learning means people are staying indoors for much longer periods than ever before.
- However, we do not live in a bubble. We still go to the grocery store, the gas station, etc. People that contract the virus and bring it into the home (especially unknowingly for those who are asymptomatic) are sharing spaces with their family members, breathing the same air, sometimes coughing and sneezing, causing a spread of the virus particles.
- Researchers have found that COVID-19 can hang as droplets in the air for up to 3 hours, which means those particulates that are trapped indoors are recirculating through the HVAC system and dispersing throughout the rest of the home.
- With these factors, the virus is currently thriving inside of homes and leading to a greater transmission between family members.
Fortunately, there are multiple Indoor Air Quality solutions available to homeowners that are very effective in treating airborne-transmitted viruses such as COVID-19.
- Air Purifiers & Filters: Cleans the air that circulates through the system by trapping & holding particulates including dust, dirt, pollen, mold spores, lint & animal fur. Higher-efficiency filters can also trap ultra-fine airborne particles like viruses, bacteria & fungi.
- UV Lamps: Stops harmful organisms at the source by destroying the molecular bonds that hold their DNA together and making them unable to replicate. Higher-power models can also treat viruses & are often used in medical environments to decontaminate surgical equipment.
- Ventilation Systems: Maintains temperature & energy efficiency in the home, while exchanging the stale, contaminated air with fresh, clean air. Today’s homes are tightly sealed for energy efficiency – saving money on energy bills, but trapping stale air that contains contaminants (including bacteria & viruses) and recirculating it through the HVAC system. Ventilation systems do not specifically TREAT viruses but can help reduce the spread by circulating contaminated air out of the home.
- Humidifiers & Dehumidifiers: Not just for comfort! Humidifiers can limit the spread of cold & flu-causing viruses because they thrive in low humidity and low humidity increases likelihood of illness by drying out nasal & airway mucus. However, too much humidity creates a breeding ground for bacteria & can lead to structural damage to the home due to excess moisture. *Striking a balanced home humidity level is key*
- Ionization: Continuously emits both negative & positive charged harmless ions into the ductwork, blown throughout all areas of the home. These ions seek out and attach themselves to pollutant particles of opposite charge & continue the process, as the particles begin to clump together forming larger & larger particles. The larger particles can now be captured in a less restrictive air filter where they collect & die off (which will help to avoid unintended system air starvation problems). Additionally, when the ions attach themselves to the virus particles, they rob the virus particles of the hydrogen necessary for the virus to survive.
*It is important to note that due to the design of your HVAC system, it may not be able to handle ALL of these virus defense methods. But having 1 is better than 0, having 2 is better than 1, and so on.
Discuss your options with an HVAC professional to determine which of these solutions will be most suitable for your home to purify its air while reducing the risk of virus transmission. For a complimentary consultation, call Varsity Home Service or book online under Free Estimate for Air Quality Improvement.