Government confirms importance of ventilation to reduce spread of COVID-19

Vent-Axia has welcomed the launch of the Government’s new public information campaign which highlights how ventilating indoor spaces can reduce the risk of coronavirus infection by over 70%.

As part of the campaign a new short film released by the Government shows how coronavirus lingers in enclosed spaces, and how to keep your home ventilated. The campaign follows The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently acknowledging that ‘Ventilation represents a very important factor to prevent the virus from spreading indoors,” having updated its guidance to recognising the possibility of airborne transmission on 9th July. Public Health England’s guidance ‘COVID-19: epidemiology, virology and clinical features’ also recently acknowledged that airborne transmission can occur in ‘poorly ventilated’ spaces.

As the weather cools we are all spending more time inside. The Government campaign therefore advises ventilating rooms regularly either by opening windows for short, sharp bursts of 10- 15mins throughout the day or by leaving a window slightly open continuously. This will help remove any virus particles in the air. It is also advised that kitchen or bathroom extractors are used regularly as another way to remove virus particles. It is particularly important to air a room when a household has had visitors.

“A raft of global scientific evidence has confirmed airborne transmission, making it a higher risk to be inside a building than outside. Research has now shown that being in a wellventilated room can reduce the risk of infection from virus particles by over 70%. To lower the risk of COVID-19 transmission inside a home or building it is therefore vital to increase airflow and ventilate effectively. Now is the time to check ventilation to ensure there is enough airflow to dilute the virus in the air and improve indoor air quality. Ventilating for longer and opting for ventilation with higher airflow volumes will help reduce the risk. At VentAxia we are here if households or businesses need advice on ventilation,” said Jenny Smith (pictured), head of marketing at Vent-Axia.

Although originally it was thought the main mode of virus transmission was fomite transmission it has now been confirmed that Coronavirus is also spread by aerosols that are exhaled from the nose and mouth of an infected person as they breathe, speak or cough. The majority of virus transmissions happen indoors. Being indoors, with no fresh air, the particles can remain suspended in the air for hours and build up over time. Plus, the longer people spend in the same room as these particles, the more likely they are to be infected.

For further information on all products and services offered by Vent-Axia telephone 0344 856 0590 or visit www.vent-axia.com.