Good ventilation helps to reduce the aerosols in the air. We are not sure whether you get corona from these small droplets, but it should still be an advice from the RIVM. Professor Daniel Bonn argued this in EenVandaag on Sunday 28 June. The WHO now also seems to be advocating for better airing.
When someone talks, sneezes or coughs, millions of aerosols are released, droplets smaller than 10 micrometers. In a poorly ventilated area such as an elevator, they can still hang in the air 10-15 minutes later. In theory, you could still get infected with the coronavirus, says physicist Daniël Bonn in a broadcast of EenVandaag. A danger that needs more attention. “I would rather not take an elevator in a hospital that has also had corona patients.”
Contamination uncertain
It is not certain whether people do indeed become infected with the coronavirus if they use those aerosols or… inhale small drops. Not even if there are virus particles in those aerosols. It is so little that contagiousness is by no means certain. Reason for the RIVM not to be here to advise on measures. It may only be different for singing and sports, that is still being investigated.
The larger drops are proven to be contagious. These fall down pretty quickly. The 1.5 meter distance has been introduced to ensure that we do not cough or breathe larger drops of coronavirus to each other. That indeed appears to be effective.
Take the stairs
Bonn doing research to the smaller droplets in the air and ventilation systems. There are now many questions about air treatment. Which system protects well against contamination by corona? What can you pay attention to, as a consumer? We don’t know everything yet, so there is still work to be done.
What is certain is that the aerosols can remain in the air for a long time and that ventilation helps. Bonn: ‘If you open a window, the number of drops is halved after 30 seconds. Much faster than in a poorly ventilated room.’ His advice: let’s ventilate well just to be sure. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. When visiting a cafe, preferably sit outside on the terrace. Open doors and windows so that any virus particles are diluted as quickly as possible.
Sources: Eenvandaag, NOS, Lancet, RIVM, Volkskrant
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The WHO may also open the windows. 200 experts had the World Health Organization called upon to do so in a letter. Good ventilation is important, because the coronavirus can linger on tiny droplets in the air, according to the experts. But is that enough virus to make you sick? The WHO is not yet convinced of the evidence that this is the case, but it now recognizes that there is some evidence for it. It is therefore possible that advice will be given to ventilate well.
Anyway – the great drops are definitely contagious, everyone agrees on that. Keeping distance therefore remains the best advice against airborne contamination.
