Raleigh, NC – Despite calls from health officials to limit in-house gatherings, family and friends gatherings continue to push the state’s daily coronavirus totals to record highs.
In addition to the oft-repeated guidance to wear masks, keep at least six feet away from others, and wash your hands regularly, one expert says keeping your indoor air fresh will also help reduce exposure to the virus.
“COVID really helped us a lot, so that people understand [that]”Just because something is invisible doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous,” said Ellie Amirnasr, CEO of Raleigh-based qlair, which specializes in analyzing and improving indoor air quality in businesses and homes.
Business has soared because of the virus, and customers are usually happy to learn that many of the solutions are simple and fairly cheap, Amirnasr said.
“The best thing we recommend to our customers right now is to improve your filtration system,” she said.
With the market flooded with devices claiming to fight the virus, she warned people not to drop a lot of money for things like bipolar ionization systems. She agrees with a top indoor air quality group that there isn’t enough evidence that those systems work.
“The tests have been done and show effectiveness in the lab, not real life,” she said.
Ultraviolet systems are also advertised to kill the coronavirus. While that’s been a proven method for years, actually killing viruses in your home’s air is tricky, Amirnasr said.
“UV was originally used for surface treatment and for air treatment, if you want to do that, you have to slow down the air flow, and you have to give it enough time,” she said.
Adding a UV system to your air handling unit may not work, she added, “With one pass nothing will happen.”
Top-of-the-line air inlet filters for your HVAC system can catch viruses, but if you are determined to buy a device, Amirnasr recommended purchasing an air cleaning system. While they can be hard to find in stores at times, she said to make sure you get one with HEPA filters.
“HEPA filtration units are very useful for trapping very small particles, especially viruses,” she said.
Qlair is working with North Carolina State University and two other schools in the University of North Carolina system to prepare for in-person instruction in the spring.
The company placed sensors in labs and classrooms that constantly measure air quality. Using a simple red, yellow and green display, the sensor indicates when it is time to refresh the air. One of the main detection methods is the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, which is what people exhale. Once that level gets high, there is an increased risk of viral spread if someone in the room is infected.
No device has been proven to stop the virus, and Amirnasr said part of the challenge is getting reliable test results.
“Virus measurement is almost impossible because it requires air sampling [and] laboratory tests, ”she said. It’s super difficult. It’s very expensive.”
But, she said, one of the best ways to fight the virus is for free. Just open doors and windows on either side of the house, especially if you have guests.
“That will help have clean air in the building,” she said. So you’ve got the old air out [and] the clean air in the building. You have fresh air and you reduce the chance of viruses hanging around. “
Amirnasr advised people to recycle indoor air two to three times an hour. Businesses should recycle four times an hour and schools six times an hour by opening a classroom if possible.
Ceiling fans or stand-alone fans can help move air, which helps. But Amirnasr said this in itself is not effective.
“If you actually turn on the ceiling fan,” she said, “if fresh air isn’t coming in, you’re just recirculating the air in the building.
“If you turn on the ceiling fan, it is better to do it only in conjunction with opening the window,” she added.