The air that I breathe [Coronavirus Ventilation

Abstract

Before the pandemic, open-plan offices and hot-desking were de rigueur in many industries. But, as we start the bumpy journey to a post-lockdown `new normal', details like where people sit and workplace ventilation have come under fresh scrutiny, meaning our workplaces could look and feel very different when we all eventually return to them. A growing number of experts believe ventilation should be improved to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, which, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is primarily transmitted through large respiratory droplets that settle on surface areas or are spread through human contact, rather than being `airborne' per se. “Shops, offices, schools, restaurants, cruise ships and, of course, public transport, is where ventilation practices should be reviewed and ventilation maximised,” Lidia Morawska from Queensland University of Technology writes in an article in the Environment International journal. So, employers and companies may not only have to mark out two-metre distances and create safe working zones, but check out the ventilation too. Ventilation plays a role in how the virus can spread through indoor spaces, especially if they are crowded and contain people who have Covid-19. Luckily, the European Federation of Heating and Ventilation Engineers (REHVA) has developed comprehensive guidance for building services engineers to help to minimise the spread of the virus through HVAC or plumbing systems.