The CDC recently eliminated isolation periods for others who are in poor health and likely contagious due to Covid. Its Advisory Committee on Infection Control in Health Care has drafted rules that weaken infection precautions and add mask-wearing. Fortunately, after a wave of public criticism, the rules were sent back to HICPAC for review.
Increasingly, people are left to their own devices to protect themselves from infections. So what can you do? Conceal and improve ventilation. The number one recommendation is to dress uniformly in an effective, well-fitting respirator, such as a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-qualified N95 or an elastomer respirator. KF94 masks, the Korean standard, are liked by many because, although they don’t protect as well, they wear earrings instead of straps around the head and are just as tight. KN95s meet Chinese standards, but counterfeiting disorders are more common. The N95 Project was a non-profit organization that I (and many) trusted because they conscientiously reviewed their products. They have maintained a list of approved products in the past on this site, although they no longer supply masks.
In terms of ventilation, a helpful webinar, “Indoor Air and Infectious Disease Transmission,” was recently held by the University of Toronto. It is now available online. I turned to Professor Sarah Haines, Ph. D. , an expert in construction engineering, for more information. His most powerful piece of advice was, if possible, to install a portable air purifier in your workspace. The “Clean Air Delivery Rate” or CADR is indicated. and can influence your product selection.
Haines noted that the CDC recommends that schools make five air adjustments per hour. He advised parents to simply check with the school’s maintenance department and ask how the formula is tested or monitored to make sure it’s working consistently. Also, ask what kind of filters various types of filters are used. MERV13 is lately considered to be ideal, but not all formulas can achieve this. The most suggestive point raised by Haines was: “How can we meet this challenge by increasing those air exchange rates, but also making sure that our energy consumption doesn’t increase?Because “bringing in a giant amount of CO2” will bring at most an abundant amount of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the biosphere.
Jonathan Rosen, a commercial hygiene consultant, deepened the discussion on how an individual can assess the protection of their environment. Rosen reiterated that one challenge with HICPAC is its “initial resolution that surgical masks are equivalent to respirators,” noting that “the CDC has published documents and studies supported for decades that show this is surely incorrect. This goes against federal criteria that require respirator brands to test. Rosen is also not a supporter of desegregation by the CDC. “The first step I learned about TB was early identity and isolation. That was our motto. And that’s the motto of any infectious disease.
Rosen highlighted some of the practical difficulties with valuing the construction. “So if you’re a small business or even a fitness center, where will you locate the resources?Where will you get the expertise to evaluate your current ventilation?Rosen said, “If you’re a health care administrator or a union leader, you can be trained to do some fundamental things,” but you really need an expert involved. One small thing a person can do regarding ventilation is to make sure that the [exhaust] enthusiasts are set to the “On” position, not automatic, so that they run continuously.
Chang-Yu Wu is chair of the Department of Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering at the University of Miami. He added a different attitude about what other people can focus on safety. It benefits employers to create a safer work environment. He noted, “If your painters are in poor health and wasted productivity, that’s something they should avoid. “He said numerous studies show that better ventilation reduces time lost due to days of poor health.
CO2 monitors can be a valuable indicator of the quality of ventilation in a given space. Some businesses (e. g. , restaurants and concert halls) had monitors that prominently demonstrated CO2 levels. Quartz magazine interviewed Yuguo Li, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Hong Kong, who strongly supported the concept that “governments require real-time monitoring and demonstration of CO2 levels. “They also point out that Belgium is the only country that has passed a law requiring indoor public spaces (gyms, restaurants, etc. ) demonstrate the levels. Wu noted that masks and CO2 monitors are socially appropriate in parts of Europe and much of Asia.
Clearly, wearing a mask for the public wisely and prominently displaying CO2 degrees is not the case here in the U. S. In the U. S. , where “it’s up to you” turns out to be the norm. Perhaps corporations can take a closer look at the economic benefits of a step forward. Ventilation to retain staff and productivity.
A report by the University of Southern California warned last year that the economic cost of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States would reach $14 trillion by the end of the year. The death toll is twice as high as in the Great Recession. of 2007-2009 and 20 times greater than the burden of the September 11 terrorist attacks, and that’s without taking into account the long Covid.
Richard Corsi, co-inventor with Jim Rosenthal of the Corsi-Rosenthal box, a DIY air filter, and now dean of engineering at the University of California, Davis, has also helped address the price-profit factor with figures that are lower. Hard to connect. . . Corsi said, “We can install a CR Box in EVERY public school classroom in the U. S. It is a U. S. government that costs $160 million a year. That’s less than one Venti Americano per student per year (that’s 0. 024% of the average cost of raising a child each year in the U. S. ). U. S. Homeland In making this calculation, I used a combined reduction for the filters, which reduces the cost of a CR enclosure by about 35%. We can do the same with HEPA Air Purifiers at about double the price: 1 Frappuccino Grande Mocha Cookie Crumble per student per year. He believes prices would be a bit higher than offices, but they would still be low, given the worker’s step forward. Consistent compliance.
What can we do to reduce the risk? Let fresh air in.
Open the window to let the air circulate.
To help me assess their risk, Corsi directed me to their Safe Air Space Estimator tool, which looks at points like room size, masking, and whether an inflamed user is a low or high emitter. It is attractive to use, adjusting the indexed parameters below the chart.
As early as 20 years ago, a study showed that the risk of infection by airborne pathogens can be estimated simply by measuring the concentration of CO2 and that an accumulation in the outdoor air source could prevent the transmission of respiratory infections. Didn’t we learn anything?