By now, you are no doubt familiar with the threat of COVID-19 and the importance of keeping yourself and your family safe. There are plenty of resources available about how to stay safe when you’re out of the house, but how can you better protect your family while you’re at home? Whether you’re inviting people over or limiting contact, understanding how the virus spreads and how increasing ventilation in Village helps may save you from an incredibly unpleasant (and sometimes fatal) illness.
How coronavirus spreads
COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that is spread through droplets, which are expelled when you speak, cough and sneeze. The virus can either be inhaled (along with those droplets) or land on surfaces. When a person touches a surface covered in the coronavirus, then touches their eyes, nose or mouth, they can be infected.
The virus seems to spread more easily in densely populated areas, and when people are within about six feet of each other. Respiratory droplets are often invisible and can hang in the air before landing on surfaces, making it easier for you to inhale the virus. This is why scientists are promoting the use of masks and social distancing—the farther away you stay from others outside your household, the better.
As of now, it does not appear that hot weather kills the virus, so it’s important to keep up with your preventative measures even when it’s hot outside.
How to increase ventilation in your home
Increasing ventilation in your Village home is one way to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, but to be clear, it is not effective on its own. You still need to isolate as much as possible and have visitors wear masks when entering your home.
To increase the airflow in your home, you have a few options. First, you can open all your screened doors and windows, although this is not necessarily desirable during the summertime. In that case, if your HVAC system or window air conditioning units have outside intake vents, open those to increase airflow.
If you have a bathroom fan, make sure to use that continuously whenever you use the bathroom. In fact, you can also use regular fans (ceiling, floor and otherwise) to move air around your home—just remember that if you don’t have an open window or door, you’re circulating stale air.
Finally, keep in mind that you can also use a HEPA filter to help clean your air, but there is no definitive research that suggests it will kill the coronavirus on its own. However, if you already own an air purifier, there’s no harm in running it during the day to help eliminate dust and as many pathogens as possible.
Keeping your surfaces clean is also a good way to stop the spread, and King’s Cleaning Service, Inc. is happy to help. Call today to schedule your appointment, whether you need deep cleaning, mold remediation or other services, or would like more tips on improving ventilation in Village.