Why do we continue to ignore indoor
contaminates in the air we breathe?
A year after the pandemic and with all of the knowl-
edge we have gained, we are still struggling with the fact that
SARS-CoV-2 is airborne. While there is much discussion about
fomite transmission, social distancing, masks, and now a vac-
cine, the polluted air we breathe is being ignored. What are the
reasons behind this ignorance and lack of action?
Theory 1: Vaccine complacency
With the new vaccine roll-out, many believe that this is the sil-
ver bullet to stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2. The approach has
been to sit back and do nothing and hope they don't have to
address the polluted indoor air exacerbating chronic diseases.
Reality:
Whether one is vaccinated or not, SARS-CoV-2 will evolve with
many new variants (as it continues to do so), and therefore the
concern of aerosolized transmission will always need to be ad-
dressed. There will also be new COVID strains and we need to
remain prepared.
Theory 2: Lack of guidance from protection agencies
From the very beginning, our health protection agencies have
tried to conceal the fact that SARS-CoV-2 is spread through the
air, focusing on social distancing and surface disinfection, never
addressing the most significant risk.
Reality: The virus is spread through the air.
Aerosolized transmission is, in fact, the most common carri-
er of infection from either droplets or droplet nuclei. The best
mitigation strategies are to address the air we breathe either
through improved ventilation, filtration, or even better, both.
For more info on mitigating
viruses, bacteria, mold, and envi-
ronmental indoor pollution in
commercial facilities read the
Long-Term Playbook on Air
Quality, Visit: https://halo.erlab.com,
call: 800-964-4434 or email Jesse Coiro: jcoiro@erlab.com
