Indoor Air Quality & COVID-19

Reduce the spread in your facilities

Can COVID-19 Transmit through the Air?

Over the last year we’ve been navigating the novel coronavirus and learning how to minimize the spread to keep people safe. As our health authorities share new information, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and confused.

The good news is that there is now complete alignment between the CDC, WHO, Health Canada, and ASHRAE that SARS-CoV-2 is spread through airborne transmission. In January 2021, Health Canada released official guidance on the importance of ventilation and filtration in reducing the spread of COVID-19 in indoor spaces.

And in April 2021, ASHRAE released a statement to reinforce their position on the importance of ventilation and filtration.

“Airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is significant and should be controlled. Changes to building operations, including the operation of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems, can reduce airborne exposures.”

“This may seem like a small step, but we feel it is important to leave no doubt about our position, given the muted support for ventilation and filtration as important tools in the effort to stop the pandemic, from some organizations that should be leading more strongly,” said William P. Bahnfleth, Ph.D., P.E., ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force chair.

Understanding airborne particle sizes

Contaminants in the air are made up of particles that come in various sizes, meaning they each interact with the air differently and require their own strategies to keep them from building up in our occupied spaces.

VENTILATE

  • Maximize outdoor air supply.
  • Run your systems longer: do a warm up cycle in the morning, run a pre-humidification prior to occupying the building, and then do an end of day purge.
  • Verify your HVAC system design intent: are you getting the ventilation per design?

FILTER

  • Maximize your filter efficiency based on what your mechanical systems can handle and what your facility needs.
  • Get the best performance from your filtration systems by ensuring that they are clean, repaired and that your filters fit correctly.
  • Augment the performance of your mechanical systems with portable air purification units where you need them.

MONITOR

  • Schedule regular checkpoints to make sure your mechanical systems and filters are performing the way you intended.
  • Do periodic spot checks on your indoor air quality to monitor the contaminant levels in different areas of your facility. Rising CO2 levels in a space is a good indicator of poor ventilation and therefore potential virus transmission risk. You can also consider continuous monitoring through the use of affordable indoor air quality monitoring sensors throughout your facility.

COMMUNICATE

  • The contaminants we’re most worried about are invisible to the naked eye. Keep your stakeholders confident and comfortable by communicating your indoor air quality improvement efforts and successes.

We Can Help:

BGE’s IAQ360 Approach

At BGE, indoor air quality is not only our business, it’s an expertise we’ve been building for over half a century. Our IAQ360 approach starts with understanding your IAQ goals and evaluating how your current systems stack up against your original intent and design. After we assess your current system and needs, we will plan and deliver the right products and resources to improve the quality of indoor air in your facilities. We also monitor and manage your IAQ environment to help you achieve healthier, safer and efficient indoor air quality solutions.

What Our Advisors Are Saying

Learn about the latest clean air insights from our team of experts.

IAQ Monitoring: A Winning Strategy

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May 2, 2021
BGE Indoor Air Quality Solutions,

If It Doesn't Fit, It Doesn't Filter

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February 21, 2021
Kevin Delahunt, Clean Air Expert

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