Indoor Air Quality Solutions Can Protect You from Viruses

Coronavirus in Florida

With 136 confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Florida as of March 16th, more people than ever are looking for solutions to protect themselves and their family from viruses. There is currently no known vaccine for the coronavirus disease, so the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has developed 4 ways to protect yourself from COVID-19.

4 ways to protect yourself from COVID-19:

  1. Wash your hands with soap and water often: If you have been in a public place, or you have coughed, sneezed, or blown your nose recently, it is recommended you wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
  2. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth: When hand washing is not available, avoid touching your face.
  3. Avoid close contact: If you are feeling sick, stay home. Additionally, even if you are not feeling sick, practice self-distancing if you are unable to avoid public spaces.
  4. Clean and disinfect: Keep your home or office clean. Especially focus your cleaning attention on frequently touched surfaces like doorknobs, handles, desks, phones, toilets, etc.

Indoor Air Quality Solutions Can Help

Another way you can protect yourself and your family from exposure is staying home as much as possible. This quarantine method can work especially well if you have good indoor air quality. According to the EPA, your indoor air is likely 2 to 5 times more polluted than the air outside. Which means that you could be breathing in dirt, dust, pollen, dander, bacteria, mold, and viruses, just by hanging out on the couch.

This exposure to microscopic biological contaminants can negatively affect your health; with children, the elderly, and those who are immunocompromised being particularly vulnerable. Improving your indoor air quality can dramatically reduce your exposure to these harmful contaminants. The indoor air quality pros at Airrific Air Conditioning and Heating have rounded up 6 ways to improve your home’s indoor air quality.

6 ways to improve your home’s indoor air quality:

  1. Keep the filters of your air conditioning or heating unit clean. Dirty filters are not only less effective, but can also impact the effectiveness of the entire HVAC system.
  2. Control your home’s humidity. A great way to reduce the humidity in your home is to have a trained technician install a dehumidstat. Additionally, increasing ventilation in your home by using fans can help reduce humidity. A good rule of thumb is to follow the EPA recommended range of 30-50% humidity in your space
  3. Install an air filtration system. Air purification systems use a series of filters to remove biological contaminants from the air.
  4. Maintain proper airflow. This can be as simple as occasionally opening doors and windows to as complex as investing in a ventilator system. This circulation of air will help move stagnant air out of your home.
  5. Have your ductwork inspected and cleaned. While there is no evidence that dirty ducts will expose you to viruses, ductwork can become clogged with dirt, dander, and dust if not cleaned properly.
  6. Invest in a germicidal UV light. When installed properly, germicidal UV lights can kill mold and bacteria, and reduce your exposure to cold and flu viruses throughout your home.

At Airrific Air Conditioning and Heating, we understand that this is a time of uncertainty and keeping yourself and your family protected is our top priority. We are following the progress of the coronavirus closely, and working hard to keep our customers and employees safe. So, if you live in Sarasota, or the greater Manatee County, give our experts a call today at (941) 371-3355 to learn more about our indoor air quality solutions.

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