Preventing HVAC From Spreading Airborne Coronavirus

Good ventilation, filtration and humidity control can be crucial to mitigating the spread in facilities


What can be done to ensure people are getting clean air and minimizing the risk of coronavirus virus transfer a healthcare facility? There are strategies and technologies that can be effective, according to an article from the Building Operating Management on the FacilitiesNet website.

Adjust your building controls to increase the amount of outdoor air flowing through your system. ASHRAE and others have suggested a two-hour flush prior to occupants arriving in the morning. The whole concept here is to bring in fresh air, thereby diluting the recirculated and potentially virus-laden, indoor air.  

Augmenting filtration with local air purifiers can be an effective way of ensuring clean air for building occupants, while also providing a visual cue to people to help them know they are being protected. Localized air purifiers (or scrubbers), typically allow for more air exchanges, closer to occupants. 

Finally, relative humidity should be maintained between forty to sixty percent to minimize the environments where these pathogens thrive. 

Read the full article.

 

 



August 20, 2020


Topic Area: HVAC


Recent Posts

Grounding Healthcare Spaces in Hospitality Principles

Thoughtful design can establish the calm of a spa and the restorative feeling of a resort in healthcare spaces, bringing benefits for patients and care providers.


UC Davis Health Selects Rudolph and Sletten for Central Utility Plant Expansion

Work is already underway with substantial completion anticipated in the fall of 2027.


Cape Cod Healthcare Opens Upper 2 Floors of Edwin Barbey Patient Care Pavilion

The first two floors opened for patients in May 2025 and house the Davenport-Mugar Cancer Center.


Building Sustainable Healthcare for an Aging Population

Traditional responses — building more primary and secondary care facilities — are no longer sustainable.


Froedtert ThedaCare Announces Opening of ThedaCare Medical Center-Oshkosh

The organization broke ground on the health campus in March 2024.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.