Clean air should be everyone’s right just like clean water. Unfortunately, indoor air quality is often compromised because of air pollution, mold and many other factors. Affecting the state of outdoor air quality is often a question of long-term politics, whereas indoor air quality can be improved quickly with the right solutions.
Air pollution and the risk of being infected by coronavirus
The European Public Health Alliance has warned that people living in polluted cities are more at risk from COVID-19, because air pollution can cause asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. COVID-19 has more serious consequences on patients with pre-existing health issues that are in many cases caused by air pollution.
Connections between air pollution levels and mortality rates were also found in a study (2003) on victims of the coronavirus SARS.
Quarantines caused by COVID-19 have decreased the air pollution levels dramatically. This is good news, because even without underlying health conditions, the exposure to air pollution is known to increase the chance of contracting viruses.
Dr. Meredith McCormack from the American Lung Association and Johns Hopkins University states that “a person who is exposed to air pollution would likely have a worse outcome if they were exposed to coronavirus”.
One of the reasons for this might be found from a paper that suggests small airborne particles such as pollution can carry viruses on their surfaces. The group of researchers found out that the daily rates of new coronavirus infections in the Italian Po valley correlated with the level of the area’s particulate pollution.
What causes bad indoor air quality
During the quarantines people are spending more time indoors, so it’s important to pay attention to the factors that increase the amount of particulate matter indoors, like letting air pollution in, smoking, burning candles, frying food and using strong chemicals.
If there are suspicious smells, like mold, it is important to find out what is causing them. Also the famous “new smell” of things might be caused by VOCs (volatile organic compounds) emitting from furniture adhesives, varnishes, fire retardants or plastics around the premises.
Improving long and short term health by improving indoor air quality
Depending on the air pollution levels, it might be wise not to open the windows for fresh air. However, in many cases the indoor air quality might actually be worse compared to the outdoor air. Whether the impurities come from outside, like industry and traffic, or inside, like mold, dust and VOC-gases, the indoor air can be cleaned with air purifiers.
Electrostatic air purification captures and eliminates pollution and other small particles from the indoor air down to 3 nanometers and all living organisms like viruses, bacteria, mold spores and gases that all pose health risks. The more of those smallest particles can be removed, the healthier the air.
Genano’s electrostatic air purification units help achieving healthier air to combat against chronic lung and heart illnesses, but also short term virus and bacteria infections.
During critical times, the units can be used to safeguard the health of residents, patients and staff in all areas of the society – especially in areas with people that have pre-existing lung conditions, patients, elderly residents and healthcare professionals. The units can be installed in minutes in all critical places, like waiting rooms, recovery rooms, crisis centers, meeting rooms, cafeterias and offices, where employees can’t work remotely even during a pandemic.
These concerns are not solely linked to COVID-19. By increasing indoor air quality, it is possible to minimize anybody’s risk of a slowly developing chronic respiratory illness, starting from the early childhood, which in turn helps in the fight against possible future epidemics and pandemics.
.png)