{"id":10245,"date":"2020-03-20T16:00:53","date_gmt":"2020-03-20T15:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.trotec-blog.com\/en\/?p=10245"},"modified":"2020-03-20T15:15:09","modified_gmt":"2020-03-20T14:15:09","slug":"coronavirus-reduce-your-risk-of-infection-by-optimising-air-humidity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trotec-blog.com\/en\/trotec\/coronavirus-reduce-your-risk-of-infection-by-optimising-air-humidity\/","title":{"rendered":"Coronavirus: Reduce your risk of infection by optimising air humidity"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Prevent contracting the coronavirus! That\u2019s the watchword here because only by extending the time frame will our hospitals be able to help the large number of patients predicted to be hit by the wave of infection. But the risk of infection increases with increasing dwell time wherever many people spend long periods of time in rooms. That\u2019s why it\u2019s good to know: 50% humidity reduces the risk of inhaling coughed out viruses, which, like the coronavirus, are responsible for respiratory diseases.<\/h2>\n

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That\u2019s the good news: The risk of inhaling dangerous viruses like the novel coronavirus \u201cSars-CoV-2\u2018, or even just bacteria, is significantly lower when air humidity is sufficiently high<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0 This is because when an infected person coughs or sneezes, thousands of exhaled infectious droplets are transmitted into the room air. These form so-called aerosols \u2013 a mixture of solid and fluid gases, airborne particles and water vapour that are able to float in the room air for hours at a time. Yet there is an enormously important difference between so-called ‘dry’ and ‘moist’ infectious aerosols.<\/p>\n

Dry aerosols float longer in the room air<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The risk of contracting infectious viruses when humidity is low is increased significantly. Why is this so? When the air humidity in the room is less than 40%, so-called \u2018dry\u2019 aerosols with crystallised minerals are formed. These then float longer in the air, are less adhesive and stick to each other less. Dry aerosols are stirred up quickly again by surfaces such as corridors, desks and closets, for example, and transmitted either by ventilation systems or the activities of the room’s occupants.<\/p>\n

Moist aerosols sink faster to the floor<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The risk of inhaling infectious aerosols is significantly lower when air humidity is sufficiently high. This is because \u2018moist\u2019 aerosols begin to form starting from an ambient humidity of 45% relative air humidity. These are heavier due to their absorbed water content \u2013 their dwell time in the air is thus short and they sink quickly to the ground. In addition, the forces of attraction between the water content and surfaces cause the \u2018moist\u2019 aerosols to adhere more strongly to each other and are only difficult to be stirred up again.<\/p>\n

Scientifically proven and recommended \u2013 an effective form of air humidification<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Scientists from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), too, have come to the conclusion that a relative air humidity of 40 % and up will drastically lower the infectivity of influenza viruses. In their extensive study, the researchers demonstrated that, with a moisture content of up to 23 percent, about three quarters of the virus particles are still infectious after one hour. When humidity is around 43 percent, the proportion of infectious particles shrinks to only about one fifth. Most often, moisture attacks the pathogens within the first 15 minutes. In light of this significant effect, scientists recommend humidifying the air in hospitals and in practices. And, naturally, this is recommended for office rooms, residential buildings and flats alike.<\/p>\n

Use the professional <\/a><\/strong>humidifiers<\/a> from Trotec<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When it comes to Trotec’s electric humidifiers, you can choose between models from the evaporation humidifier B series and the air washers from the AW-S series. The most important criteria for choosing a suitable device are room size and humidification performance.<\/p>\n