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Category: Air Filters

Coronavirus: What you need to know

Brookaire has a commitment to clean air during the COVID19 outbreak. Because of this, we’ve assembled this information as a guide. We’ve compiled resources from CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and WHO (World Health Organization).


The number of novel coronavirus cases is spreading quickly. Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering created a real-time tracking map of the cases across the world.

See the map here.


What are the symptoms?

Common symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. However, the illness can also cause body aches, sore throat, vomiting and diarrhea.


According to World Health Organization, Up to 80 percent of those who become infected appear to have mild symptoms and may not even know they're sick. But in severe cases, the illness can cause pneumonia, kidney failure and death.


How can we prevent and avoid Coronavirus?



















Indoor Air Quality

Recent update indicates that WHO is considering “airborne precautions” for medical staff after a new study showed the coronavirus can survive in the air in some settings. WHO officials confirmed that the coronavirus can go airborne, staying suspended in the air depending on factors such as heat and humidity.


 

Airborne Particle Sizes and how they enter the respiratory system?









Deadly Virus Outbreaks in our History Particulate Size Comparison





MERV Ratings and Virus Transmission 

Research has also indicated that appropriate air filtration limits the pass-through of virus particles, which frequently hitch a ride on larger particles, into downstream areas. Indoor air contains the most contaminants as it is limited and has no space to escape, and air is recycled causing the infections to transmit.

Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, commonly known as MERV, is a measurement scale designed in 1987 by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) to report the effectiveness of air filters. The MERV value is from 1 to 16. MERV Ratings are given based on efficiency of an air filter at capturing particles from 0.3 – 10 microns. As previously shown, virus particles are much smaller ranging from 0.08 – 0.12 microns. Studies have shown that virus particles may be transported on larger particles such as droplets, dust and more. Therefore, the spread of virus can be reduced by having the correct filter. A higher MERV Rating Filters can efficiently block and catch the larger particles/ pollutants in the indoor air that may carry virus particles and prevent them from recirculating back to the room.

Resources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

World Health Organization