Raleigh, NC – Despite pleas from health officials to limit indoor gatherings, family and friends gatherings continue to set the state’s daily coronavirus totals at record highs.
In addition to the often repeated guidance of wearing masks, keep at least 6 feet away from others and wash your hands regularly, says one expert to keep your indoor air fresh, to reduce exposure to the virus.
‘COVID has really helped us a lot to understand people [that]”If something is invisible, it does not mean it is not dangerous,” said Ellie Amirnasr, CEO of Qaleir in Raleigh, which specializes in analyzing and improving indoor air quality in businesses and homes.
Business has increased due to the virus, and customers are usually happy to know that many of the solutions are simple and fairly inexpensive, Amirnasr said.
“The best thing at this point that we recommend to our customers is to improve your filtering system,” she said.
With the market flooded with devices claiming to be fighting the virus, she warned people to drop a lot of money on bipolar ionization systems. She agrees with a top group within air quality that there is not enough evidence that the systems work.
“The tests were done and show the efficiency in the laboratory, not in real life,” she said.
Ultraviolet systems are also advertised for killing coronavirus. Although it has been a proven method for years, it is difficult to kill viruses in the air, Amirnasr said.
“UV is originally used for surface treatment, and if you want to do that, you have to slow down the airflow, and you have to give it enough time,” she said.
Adding a UV system to your air conditioner may not be the thing. She added: “With one passage nothing will happen.”
Top-of-the-line air intake filters for your HVAC system can catch virus, but if you are determined to buy a device, Amirnasr has recommended getting an air purification system. Although it is sometimes difficult to find in stores, she said you can get one with HEPA filters.
“HEPA filter units are very useful for capturing very small particles, especially viruses,” she said.
Qlair works with North Carolina State University and two other schools in the University of North Carolina system to prepare for personal tuition in the spring.
The company has installed sensors in laboratories and classrooms that constantly measure air quality. Using a simple red, yellow and green screen, the sensor shows when it’s time to refresh the air. One of the most important detection methods is the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, which people exhale. Once the level gets high, there is an increased risk of viral spread if someone in the room is infected.
There is no single device that can stop the virus, and Amirnasr said that part of the challenge is reliable test results,
“Virus measurement is almost impossible because it requires air sampling [and] laboratory testing, “she said. This is very difficult. It is very expensive. ‘
But, she said, one of the best ways is to fight the virus. Simply open doors and windows on either side of the house, especially if you have guests.
“It will help to have clean air in the building,” she said. ‘So, you got the old air out [and] the clean air inside the building. You have fresh air, and you reduce the chance that any virus can sit. ‘
Amirnasr recommends that people recycle residential indoor air two to three times an hour. Businesses need to recycle four times an hour and schools six times an hour by only opening a classroom window, if possible.
Ceiling fans or freestanding fans can help move air around, which helps. But Amirnasr said that in itself was not effective.
‘If you actually turn on the ceiling fan,’ she said, ‘if no fresh air enters, you just circulate the air inside the building.
“If you turn on the ceiling fan, you better do it only in combination with opening the window,” she added.