If there is one thing we’ve learned since the start of the pandemic, it’s the importance of proper IAQ — particularly adequate ventilation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), viral particles — including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 — spread between people more readily indoors, where the concentration of viral particles is often higher than outdoors. Ventilation mitigation strategies can reduce viral particle concentration, which is important because the lower the concentration, the less likely viral particles can be inhaled into the lungs or make contact with eyes, noses, or mouths.
Proper ventilation is particularly vital in health care settings, including waiting rooms, clinics, assisted living facilities, and labs, where many patients are already ill and there is greater potential for illness to spread to other patients. By employing a ventilation strategy such as a dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS), conditioned fresh air can be brought into the building, thus improving IAQ and ensuring a safer environment.