Turn Up the Humidity in Your House
This is coming from MEDPAGE TODAY, “Track the U.S. COVID-19 Outbreak in Real Time,” Comments Section (3 comments), March 11, 2020 with regard to COVID-19
“The mechanism of seasonal effect for seasonal respiratory virus spread is believed to be humidity, not temperature. In New York state which has 220 cases, fomites lose moisture where indoor humidity is low, allowing the lighter particles to stay longer in the aerosol. In Florida and Arizona, with 38 cases, fomites gain moisture and weight from the humid air and fall to the floor faster. Northern Italy, where people wear winter coats in the media reports has dry, heated indoor air, while Southern Italy has humid indoor air.
Humidifying indoor air in schools, stores, churches, etc. may control your seasonal allergies, reduce seasonal influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, coronoviruses which produce the common cold, rhinoviruses and Covid-19, Airports, airliners, airport shuttles should be the highest priority. The goal should be humidifying to the level seen in summer without transmitting Legionella.”
Commercial spaces may also seek a commerical ventilation service in Austin, TX and nearby areas for the health and safety of their employees and clients. You may also consider using Indoor Air Quality Services in Portsmouth, VA.
What will you do if there is burning plastic smell from furnace? Homeowners are more sensitive to furnace smells and prone to developing allergies are advised to wear masks while turning their furnace on for the first time. If your furnace smells like it is burning the first time you light it up, wait for a bit of time to pass. But if the smell still goes on, you should call an HVAC technician to run an inspection.
And if you have a gas fireplace at home, make sure to conduct regular maintenance with the help of an expert in gas fireplace maintenance in Bothell, WA.
“The Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Hong Kong have warmer, more humid air and much less Covid-19. Southern Italy has warmer, more humid indoor air than Northern Italy where indoor air is dry. The photographs in the media from places with the highest rate of Covid-19 spread show people wearing winter jackets.”
“In warm humid climates, fomites absorb water from indoor air and sink to the floor. There is a fine layer of dust everywhere indoors and viral particles attach to charged dust particles.
The mechanism for seasonal respiratory virus transmission is: fomite size in dry heated indoor air promotes viral spread. Larger fomites in humid air fall to the floor and react with charged dust particles.”
fomite definition: objects or materials which are likely to carry infection, such as clothes, utensils, and furniture.
microbiology definition: A fomites (pronounced /ˈfoʊmiːz/) or fomite (/ˈfoʊmaɪt/) is any inanimate object that, when contaminated with or exposed to infectious agents (such as pathogenic bacteria, viruses or fungi), can transfer disease to a new host.
This would include counter tops, etc.
I think incompetent politicians who want to be seen to be acting but do not implement the necessary for containing the epidemics steps or take them too late are more important danger in this coronavirus outbreak then the disease itself.
Humidity about 50% is a double edge sword: it greatly stimulates growth of various bacteria and fungus. And Legionnaires disease is more dangerous type of virus pneumonia than COVID-19.
It is also not clear if 50% humidity is enough to adversely affect the coronavirus virus.
https://www.hvac.com/faq/recommended-humidity-level-home/
At 80% or higher humility your sheets feel wet. This for example is the case in Dominican republic.
Interesting, does this mean that animals that sniff around on the floor like dogs are more vulnerable in summer than humans are?
interesting. but not because of dog sniffing. i think Likbez provides a needed “we need to look at other factors” response.
in my case i live in a moderately cold winder climate with high humidity. i don’t heat my house much, so i keep that high humidity (much higher than 50% i think). sheets don’t feel wet. i have very few colds and no mold problem. (I think people get mold where warm air (with high water content of not necessarily high relative humidity) contacts colder surfaces (in unheated rooms, or against uninsulated walls). but i don’t know very much… just be careful when you choose your “experts.”
despite all this, all you need to catch coronavirus is to talk to breathe the same air as someone who already has it. good luck with that.
coberly:
I never said they were “experts.” These are healthcare people and this one has some knowledge as I have read him before. Another comment:
The assumption the author made is notable.
Run
I never said you said, “experts..” My warning about experts is generic, Ever siunce “non partisan expert” came to mean “lies about Social Security.”
Turns out experts in other fields are not always relieable either.
Otherwise I think I understood what you said and think it is useful information. But when you say there is a Noth-South gradient and Southern CA has more cases than Northern, I get confused.
Thanks Cob
Fair enough