The quality of the air we breathe can make the difference between catching a cold, flu or virus - and not catching it at all.
Indoor air quality management has become an even more pressing topic in the last couple of years, thanks in part to Covid-19 and a greater understanding of just how easily viral and bacterial infections can pass from person to person.
While none of us wanted a pandemic to educate us on the topic, we now know that air quality in a building has a direct impact on the chances of illnesses, such as viruses, being transmitted.
Viral spread
Knowledge built up during the Covid-19 outbreak led the World Health Organisation¹ (WHO) to formally recognise, in 2021, that virus particles can be spread when they leave an infected person’s mouth or nose and remain suspended in the air for someone else to breathe in.
WHO stated that small liquid particles of different sizes, from larger respiratory droplets to smaller aerosols, are emitted when infected people cough, sneeze, sing, breathe heavily or talk.
In the case of larger droplets, these generally fall onto the ground or onto surfaces, but smaller aerosols can stay suspended in the air for hours. Even if the person has left the room, their viral infection can still be lying in wait for other people.
In poorly ventilated rooms the amount of virus in the air can build up, increasing the risk of spread, especially if there are lots of infected people in those spaces.
Crowded or badly ventilated environments are not only an ideal setting for viral aerosols to remain suspended in the air, but also for these aerosols to travel further than usual.
The cost to business
Pandemics aside, other forms of viruses, such as simple colds and flu can take their toll on business productivity.
In fact, colds, flu and other short-term ailments were the most common reason for sickness absence².
There’s no doubt that organisations pay a high price for people passing illnesses to each other, and that this is partly a result of poor indoor air in workplaces, schools, homes and elsewhere.
Preventative steps
Indoor air quality management is the route to a healthier working environment.
Monitoring air can help organisations better understand the quality of their workplace air and keep pollutant levels down to a minimum.
In any environment where frequent ventilation, such as keeping windows open, is not possible, indoor air purification helps contaminated air to be replaced frequently and quickly with clean air, and for any airborne virus, allergens and other pollutants to be speedily removed from a room.
To find out more about the latest Indoor Air Quality Management solutions from Fellowes, including our Four-Stage H13 HEPA Filtration System that removes 99.99% of COVID-19, visit:
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