COVID-19 is Airborne

News

World Health Organization

As you may know, WHO, The World Health Organization, on July 7, 2020, acknowledged the airborne spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) after a group of scientists urged the global body to update its guidance on how the respiratory disease passes between people.

On October 5, 2020, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that COVID-19 can spread through virus lingering in the air, sometimes for hours, acknowledging concerns widely voiced by public health experts about airborne transmission of the virus. CDC said there was evidence that people with COVID-19 possibly infected others who were more than 6 feet (1.8m) away, within enclosed spaces with poor ventilation. Under such circumstances, CDC said scientists believe the amount of infectious smaller droplet and particles, or aerosols, produced by the people with COVID-19 become concentrated enough to spread the virus. "The reality is airborne transmission is the main way that transmission happens at close range with prolonged contact," the researchers said in a press call. Viruses in aerosols can remain in the air for seconds to hours, travel more than two meters and accumulate in poorly ventilated indoor air, leading to super spreading events, the researchers said.

 

Published on 9th July 2020 in The Straits Time, Singapore

We now know that by practicing the Primary Preventive Measures (PPM) will not be sufficient to prevent contacting the virus. The acknowledgement from WHO and CDC voiced The need of Secondary Preventive Measures (SPM) to be in placed at enclosed areas; Homes, Offices, Restaurants, Hotels, Schools, etc. And in Dormitory contacts, like the office, dormitory, common toilet & cooking area, recreation room, and training rooms.

Secondary Preventive Measures (SPM) helps to control and reduce the chance of contacting the virus via airborne. The virus can be spread through centralized ventilation and anytime when the mask is off when we take our meals or resting in common rooms. Droplets containing these germs are released into the air when a person simply talks, coughs or sneezes. These tiny droplets can travel as far as 6 feet and can spread by landing on surfaces or in another person’s eyes, nose, or mouth. With social distancing rules varying from place to place, it can be difficult to expect all people to conform to the guidelines. Therefore there are circumstances when infection just cannot be avoided. Read more about Airborne Diseases.

There is much to learn about the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Based on what is currently known, the transmission of coronavirus occurs much more commonly through respiratory droplets than through fomites. Current evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of materials. Cleaning of visibly dirty surfaces followed by disinfection is a best practice measure for the prevention of COVID-19 and other viral respiratory illnesses in households and community settings.

This guidance provides recommendations on the cleaning and disinfection of households. It is aimed at limiting the survival of the virus in the environment. These recommendations will be updated if additional information becomes available. These guidelines are focused on household settings and are meant for the general public. Cleaning refers to the removal of germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces and the air. Cleaning does not kill viruses and germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection. Disinfecting refers to using chemicals or other agents to kill germs on surfaces and the air.

 

HOW CAN AIRBORNE TRANSMISSION OF COVID-19 INDOORS BE MINIMISED?

This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs, but by killing viruses and germs on a surface after cleaning, it can further lower the risk of spreading infection.

Community members can practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces (for example: tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks) with household cleaners and EPA-registered disinfectants that are appropriate for the surface, following label instructions.
Labels contain instructions for safe and effective use of the cleaning product including precautions you should take when applying the product, such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during the use of the product.

One great option to DISINFECT THE AIR is to utilize G9 UVC GERM KILLER in home to keep your family breathing healthy and clean air. G9 UVC GERM KILLER is easy to install and requires service and replacement once a year.

The G9 UVC GERM KILLER is purposely designed to control risk of airborne infection and operates in an enclosed environment, with humans in the same room. Harmful UV-C rays are contained within the ABS casing of the unit, insulating the lamps natural electromagnetic emissions. The advantage of using UV-C indirectly means the lamp can be on for longer periods, which means longer air disinfection time. It is low in energy consumption even if you operate it over 8 hours a day, daily.
For example, if you use a G9UVC42 Model; which covers up to 400SQFT, a 10W G9 Germ Killer for 8 hours per day, you are using 80Wh or 0.08kWh per day.

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