Removing the Scare from the Air

I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. Actually, I am an air purification salesman, a bit of expert in air purification. That’s right. I have expertise in the kinds of air we breathe in and how to make it safer.

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone talked about how you can get sick from touching something contaminated with the virus and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes. But people talked less about the fact that the air you breath in is also contaminated with the virus and it is possible you might also be infected from that.

We now know from Dr. Fauci of the CDC that the US government did not want to talk about airborne transmission and the need for masks to slow the spread of the virus because they did not want panic buying of masks which would make it more difficult for healthcare workers to obtain the masks they needed. However, research shows that COVID-19 may be transmitted like other similar viruses.

Droplets from a sneeze can travel 26 feet (or 8m) according to research done at MIT.(1) And coughs travel almost as far. AND the COVID-19 virus can stay in the air for 3 hours or more, according to NIH.(2) And the latest research from NIH shows that even talking can release virus laden micro-droplets into the air which can stay airborne for some time.

We have to deal with the reality as is – not the one we wish were true. So, as we start to reopen businesses, we need to deal with what is in the air – not just what is on surfaces. The other fact that we need to deal with is that a lot of the virus on surfaces started out in the air and fell down onto the surfaces. In other words, keeping the air cleaner means keeping the surfaces safer!

Physical distancing keeps people away from potential pathogens. Here is another type of distancing: mechanical distancing?, which keeps potential pathogens away from people through special mechanical means. The less time a potential pathogen is in the air, the less chance it has to harm you.

We recommend that you try to purify the entire volume of air in your room every 12 minutes or less. Being exposed to a potentially deadly virus for just a few minutes sure sounds a lot better than being exposed for 3 hours or more.

You can use the following formulas to find out how many minutes it will take an air purifier to clean the air in your room.

First, calculate the volume of air in your room.

Room Air Volume = length x depth x height

Then divide that number by the cubic feet per minute (cfm) of the air purifier. (m3/m if the RAV is m3)

              Minutes for 1 Air Exchange = Room Air Volume / cfm

With that number, you can decide the level of risk you are willing to accept for your employees and guests. That is the first step to deciding on what air purifier you need.

Until next time, as Jacinda Ardern the Prime Minister of New Zealand says, “Stay Safe. Be Kind.”

PS: I hate to contradict what you may have read in Cosmo, but when it comes to what is in the air, size does matter. I will be writing about that in my next article.

https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/viral-scare-air-size-matters-ralph-rathburn

NOTE: We are currently seeking professional distributors in various fields. We are also seeking independent salespeople in North America.

?To learn more about how we can help you achieve mechanical distancing? in your healthcare facility, download our brochure. Or contact me for a consultation.

• https://www.airgle.com/downloads/Brochure_AirgleCleanRoom.pdf
• www.airgle.com/downloads/Brochure_AG900Commercial.pdf
• www.airgle.com/downloads/Brochure_AG900Educational.pdf
• www.airgle.com/downloads/Brochure_AG25Ambulance.pdf
• www.airgle.com/downloads/Brochure_AG25Cars.pdf

LinkedIn articles

• https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/removing-scare-from-air-ralph-rathburn/
• https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/viral-scare-air-size-matters-ralph-rathburn/
• https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/beware-magical-thinking-uv-c-ralph-rathburn

? 2020 Ralph Rathburn