Good air circulation and building ventilation can greatly improve the quality of the air you breathe and lessen the risk of indoor health issues including averting the risk of SARS-CoV-2 virus transmission. Maintaining good ventilation, along with other preventive measures like masking, social distancing and hand washing is highly suggested by medical experts to curb the spread and prevent you from getting infected with COVID-19.

Recently, the office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India had stated in an advisory that aerosols, droplets, and surfaces are the main modes of transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. While droplets fall within two meters of the infected person, aerosols can travel in the air up to 10 meters.
Man switching on the AC and 475 ppm CO2

Aerosol particles are lighter than droplet-sized particles and can be suspended in the air for longer. Thus the suspension and transmission of aerosols are aided by poor ventilation.

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According to experts, saliva and nasal discharge in the form of droplets and aerosols can transmit the virus from one person to another. Large droplets fall to the ground and surfaces, while smaller particles are carried in the air to higher distances. In closed and properly ventilated indoor settings, droplets and aerosols become concentrated and largely elevates the risk of transmission to people in the area. Transmission of infection risk is lower in outdoor regions, as virus particles get quickly dispersed, states the advisory.

Let’s read through this article to know on the fact that how essential it is for all of us to keep our home/rooms well-ventilated to minimize the risk of getting coronavirus.

What is Ventilation?

Ventilation is the process of introducing fresh air into indoor spaces while clearing stale air.

Improving indoor ventilation with fresh outdoor air is a vital method of diffusing viral particles. Ventilating spaces with directional airflow lowers the accumulated viral land in the air and lessens the risk of transmission.Allowing fresh air into indoor spaces can assist to remove air that contains virus particles and avert the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

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How Ventilation Helps In Preventing The Spread Of The Virus?

When people infected with COVId-19 breathe, speak, cough, or sneeze they release droplets and aerosols containing the virus that can be the cause of coronavirus infection. Larger droplets fall rapidly to the ground, smaller ones, and aerosols containing the virus remain suspended in the air.

If someone breathes in virus particles that are suspended in the air, they can become infected and this is known as airborne transmission. In poorly ventilated rooms the number of viruses in the air get accumulated, increasing the risk of spreading COVID-19, particularly if there are an increased number of infected people staying in the same room. Moreover, the virus can also remain in the air, even after an infected person has left. Ventilation is regarded as the community defense mechanism against the spread of novel coronavirus.

Effective Ways To Improve Ventilation At Your Home

  • Keeping the windows and doors open at home is the best possible way of improving ventilation.
  • With summer, keep the top and bottom windows open, as this will help facilitate better airflow.
  • Cross ventilation - where opening windows and doors on opposite sides of the room or home allows better flow of fresh air.
  • Make sure all the grills are open and not blocked, the air that flows in from these vents will mix with warmer room air as it enters, and this will help to maintain the room temperature.
  • Keep a pedestal fan as close as possible to an open window or door, to allow the air from the home to blow outside.
  • Keep the room doors opened throughout the day to let a constant flow of fresh air into the home. This would help to balance the warmth and humidity inside the room.
  • Use exhaust fans in your kitchen and bathroom that help in containing the spread of the infection.
  • The use of a gable fan system and roof ventilators in offices, auditoriums, and other closed public places also helps in improving the air quality. While regular cleaning and replacement of the filters are highly recommended.
  • Buildings can be ventilated well by natural systems such as vents, windows, and chimneys or by mechanical systems such as exhaust fans.