Covid-19
Resources
- Latest News From ASHRAE: Click here to read the latest news and recommendations from ASHRAE regarding Covid-19
- ACHR News: Coronavirus Prompts Response in HVAC Industry: Contractors can take steps to cut down on airborne transmission
- World Health Organization Latest News: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
- Maintaining Mental Health During a Pandemic: https://www.rehab4addiction.co.uk/coronavirus/mental-health-coronavirus
Products We Sell To Combat Airborne Pathogens
- Portable air purifiers that use both UV-C and HEPA pre-filters to disinfect the air. Click here to learn more.
- HEPA & ULPA Filters that clean a broader array of contaminants from the air. Learn more here.
- Premium Air Filters, including MERV 13 and higher, which are recommended by ASHRAE as an upgrade from MERV 8.
- Fan Filter Unit to create negative pressure in enclosed spaces. Contact us to learn more.
How does Covid-19 spread?
Via air & direct contact. Specifically, via large droplet transfer (coughing/sneezing and with some folks, strong exhalations).
- Not all droplets remain suspended in air due to their mass.
- That means they tend to fall on surfaces, where they can remain viable anywhere from a few hours to several days (according to the World Health Organization).
- If an infected person coughs or sneezes into their hand and then touches a surface that another person comes into contact with, the virus can spread.
- Airborne transmission is also possible because the virus can aerosolize.
- Some droplets may be small enough that they stay in the air and travel on air currents.
- Those infected droplets could also enter an HVAC system.
- From there, they could spread to other parts of a facility and infect people.
- READ MORE: Covid Risks for Indoor Air – 2020-7-23
Do HEPA Filters Help?
- While HEPA filters are excellent choices for trapping 99.97% of particles down to 0.3 microns in size, coronavirus is even smaller – between 0.06 and 0.14 microns. Therefore, filtration alone may not be enough. ASHRAE recommends using UV-C disinfection, as well, which is available in some air purifiers and also sold as in-duct bulbs.
UV Disinfection Systems
- Ultraviolet systems are good choices to add to conventional filtration because they kill pathogens that are small enough to pass through filters.
- Consider employing both upper-air UV and HVAC germicidal fixtures to mitigate the potential spread of airborne diseases in communal areas.
- Portable UV-C air purifying units are also a good choice for high-traffic / high-density areas within a facility.
Increase Air Changes
- Since COVID-19 can aerosolize, it’s imperative to make sure your facility and/or high-traffic locations within your building have a high number of air changes per hour.
If you have questions about the filters you’re using, how effective or efficient they are, or want more information on UV disinfection systems, please let us know. We’d be happy to talk more about your facility’s unique needs. Call us at (585) 288-1600 or send an email to hello@rpfedder.com to get started.