Dr. Maria Neira, Director of the Department of Public Health and the Social and Environmental Determinants of Health at the World Health Organization, advised the necessity of ventilating closed spaces and rooms in homes, as it is considered one of the effective means to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. She pointed out that ventilation is an extremely important aspect and a crucial factor in preventing the virus spread indoors.
Dr. Maria Neira's statements came during an interview with the program "Science in 5," which airs on the WHO's social media accounts and is presented by Fismita Gupta Smith.
Natural Ventilation
The UN official explained that natural ventilation, such as opening doors and windows, can provide a renewal of healthy air that should be breathed in. She added that whenever possible, it should be ensured that windows are open for natural ventilation in public places or buildings, such as schools, workplaces, and tourist areas.
She clarified that experts recommend increasing the air change rate and improving ventilation through natural or mechanical means while trying to avoid constant air recirculation, as well as regularly maintaining and changing air filters in devices as needed.
6 Times Per Hour
The UN official noted that individuals need to consider the size of the room or area to be ventilated, the occupancy rate, and the activities taking place in that space. There are formulas to calculate all of this.
She added, "For example, if the air in a room is renewed six times in one hour, this will provide a reasonable means of ensuring that the spread of the virus indoors is minimized or prevented."
The coronavirus has caused the deaths of 3,194,716 people worldwide, out of more than 152 million confirmed cases, since the WHO's office in China reported the emergence of the disease at the end of December 2019, according to a count conducted by the "Agence France-Presse" based on official sources as of Sunday evening. More than 152,098,680 people have been confirmed to have contracted the virus since its emergence. The vast majority of those infected have recovered, although some continued to experience symptoms for weeks or even months.
