Your Home Air Quality and the H1N1 Virus
The H1N1 Flu and Indoor Air Quality
Over the past several months news of the H1N1 flu, also known as Novel Influenza A or Swine Flu, pandemic has spread across the country. Although the outbreak was not as widespread as initially feared, experts are predicting that our next flu season will see even more cases of this type of flu. According the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), this is a new virus and “most people will not have immunity to it, and illness may be more severe and widespread as a result”. Currently, there is no vaccine to protect against this H1N1 virus. The CDC anticipates that there will be more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths associated with this new virus than those of recent years. Experts are looking into, not only how this disease is spread, but also how we can prevent the spread of this disease.
The H1N1 virus, plus other respiratory infections like the flu (all types) are highly contagious airborne diseases that spread through contact with respiratory secretions from an infected person (a cough or a sneeze). These droplets become airborne and enter the eyes, nose, or mouth of another person; or they settle on surfaces and are easily transferred to our mouths and eyes after contact with our hands. That’s why experts advise frequent hand washing. Studies have shown, due to the fact that this virus travels airborne, it is possible for a HVAC (heating and cooling) system to become a mode of viral transmission. Basically, droplets from a sneeze or cough evaporate into the air and then can be spread through your air-handling system.
The HVAC industry has developed products that are on the market today that are designed to eliminate the spread of germs through your home heating and cooling system and provide clean air throughout your home. Air pollution is a serious problem. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) reports that indoor air can be up to one hundred times more polluted than the air outside. The EPA also has named indoor air pollution as one of the top 5 environmental risks to public health.
One very effective way to eliminate germs and viruses in your home is through an air purification or filtration system. The Trane Corporation has this type of product available in the market now. Trane CleanEffects™, a whole-home air filtration system, attaches to your central heating and cooling system. This provides homeowners another tool to help prevent the spread of flu. Harvard School of Public Health in collaboration with scientists at Environmental Health and Engineering, Inc. conducted research that shows Trane CleanEffects™ will “remove more than 99 percent of the influenza A (including swine flu or H1N1) from a home’s filtered air”.
In addition to removing the flu germs from your heating and cooling system, the Trane CleanEffects™ system is designed to deliver “air that is heated as well as cooled, thoroughly conditioned, meticulously filtered and cleaned of up to an unprecedented 99.98% of airborne allergens that pass through the filter.” According to Trane, this system traps particles down to .3 microns in size and is up to 100 times more effective than a standard 1” filter, and 8 times better than any HEPA room filter currently on the market. The CleanEffects™ system is a low cost operating system with no filters to replace. You only need to clean the filter, by washing or vacuuming it every 3-9 months depending upon usage. Experts from LMS Technologies, EH&E, Harvard School of Public Health and other major university research show the Trane CleanEffects™ system to be the best air filtration system on the market.
A second effective way to combat this spread of germs is through ultraviolet light (UV). There are actually certain wavelengths of UV light that neutralize flu viruses, along with other viruses, bacteria and other pathogens (fungi, molds, etc.). This germicidal light is a safe, non-chemical way to disinfect. In a 2001 study done by the British Medical Journal (Lancet) study, researchers found that UV germicidal lamps “could be useful in the broader effort to combat contagious diseases such as flu, SARS, tuberculosis and cold viruses. If a large number of school, office buildings and residences were modified (to include UV-C) airborne respiratory diseases would be eradicated …”
UV Germicidal Lamps are placed at the coils of your HVAC system and prevent these viruses and germs from spreading throughout your home. These UV lamps have other benefits to you as well. They prevent the accumulation of mold and mildew in your heating and cooling system which can lead to unpleasant odors. This accumulation also makes your system work harder, longer and less efficient, resulting in untimely repairs. With a whole –home UV germicidal lamp your home comfort system will run less often, for shorter periods of time. This saves you money on your utility bills.
Another option available on the market today is called a whole-house air cleaner. This is installed as part of your home’s central heating and cooling system. One such system is called the Aprilaire Whole-Home Air Cleaner. Aprilaire states, “each and every time your system runs, the air in your home is filtered through a filter that is designed to remove potentially harmful contaminants, such as pollen, lung-damaging dust, pet hair, dander, dust mites, tobacco smoke, spores, disease-causing bacteria and viruses from every room of your home”. According to Aprilaire, this air cleaner will prevent the build-up of dust and dirt which leads to expensive maintenance or premature failure. This same build-up if left unchecked, will also reduce the efficiency of your heating and cooling system. The more efficient your heating and cooling system, the quicker it can heat and cool your home, the less energy it will use and the more money you can save.
The experts are predicting an even greater threat from the H1N1 flu this upcoming flu season. Now is a good time to investigate heating and cooling options for your home. You will not only be providing germ-free, cleaner air for your family, but will reap the benefits of a more efficient heating and cooling system, resulting in lower heating and cooling bills.
Sources: http://cdc.gov/h1niflu/
www.medicalnewstoday.com
www.ACHRNEWS.com
www.trane.com
www.aprilaire.com
www.epa.gov
Over the past several months news of the H1N1 flu, also known as Novel Influenza A or Swine Flu, pandemic has spread across the country. Although the outbreak was not as widespread as initially feared, experts are predicting that our next flu season will see even more cases of this type of flu. According the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), this is a new virus and “most people will not have immunity to it, and illness may be more severe and widespread as a result”. Currently, there is no vaccine to protect against this H1N1 virus. The CDC anticipates that there will be more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths associated with this new virus than those of recent years. Experts are looking into, not only how this disease is spread, but also how we can prevent the spread of this disease.
The H1N1 virus, plus other respiratory infections like the flu (all types) are highly contagious airborne diseases that spread through contact with respiratory secretions from an infected person (a cough or a sneeze). These droplets become airborne and enter the eyes, nose, or mouth of another person; or they settle on surfaces and are easily transferred to our mouths and eyes after contact with our hands. That’s why experts advise frequent hand washing. Studies have shown, due to the fact that this virus travels airborne, it is possible for a HVAC (heating and cooling) system to become a mode of viral transmission. Basically, droplets from a sneeze or cough evaporate into the air and then can be spread through your air-handling system.
The HVAC industry has developed products that are on the market today that are designed to eliminate the spread of germs through your home heating and cooling system and provide clean air throughout your home. Air pollution is a serious problem. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) reports that indoor air can be up to one hundred times more polluted than the air outside. The EPA also has named indoor air pollution as one of the top 5 environmental risks to public health.
One very effective way to eliminate germs and viruses in your home is through an air purification or filtration system. The Trane Corporation has this type of product available in the market now. Trane CleanEffects™, a whole-home air filtration system, attaches to your central heating and cooling system. This provides homeowners another tool to help prevent the spread of flu. Harvard School of Public Health in collaboration with scientists at Environmental Health and Engineering, Inc. conducted research that shows Trane CleanEffects™ will “remove more than 99 percent of the influenza A (including swine flu or H1N1) from a home’s filtered air”.
In addition to removing the flu germs from your heating and cooling system, the Trane CleanEffects™ system is designed to deliver “air that is heated as well as cooled, thoroughly conditioned, meticulously filtered and cleaned of up to an unprecedented 99.98% of airborne allergens that pass through the filter.” According to Trane, this system traps particles down to .3 microns in size and is up to 100 times more effective than a standard 1” filter, and 8 times better than any HEPA room filter currently on the market. The CleanEffects™ system is a low cost operating system with no filters to replace. You only need to clean the filter, by washing or vacuuming it every 3-9 months depending upon usage. Experts from LMS Technologies, EH&E, Harvard School of Public Health and other major university research show the Trane CleanEffects™ system to be the best air filtration system on the market.
A second effective way to combat this spread of germs is through ultraviolet light (UV). There are actually certain wavelengths of UV light that neutralize flu viruses, along with other viruses, bacteria and other pathogens (fungi, molds, etc.). This germicidal light is a safe, non-chemical way to disinfect. In a 2001 study done by the British Medical Journal (Lancet) study, researchers found that UV germicidal lamps “could be useful in the broader effort to combat contagious diseases such as flu, SARS, tuberculosis and cold viruses. If a large number of school, office buildings and residences were modified (to include UV-C) airborne respiratory diseases would be eradicated …”
UV Germicidal Lamps are placed at the coils of your HVAC system and prevent these viruses and germs from spreading throughout your home. These UV lamps have other benefits to you as well. They prevent the accumulation of mold and mildew in your heating and cooling system which can lead to unpleasant odors. This accumulation also makes your system work harder, longer and less efficient, resulting in untimely repairs. With a whole –home UV germicidal lamp your home comfort system will run less often, for shorter periods of time. This saves you money on your utility bills.
Another option available on the market today is called a whole-house air cleaner. This is installed as part of your home’s central heating and cooling system. One such system is called the Aprilaire Whole-Home Air Cleaner. Aprilaire states, “each and every time your system runs, the air in your home is filtered through a filter that is designed to remove potentially harmful contaminants, such as pollen, lung-damaging dust, pet hair, dander, dust mites, tobacco smoke, spores, disease-causing bacteria and viruses from every room of your home”. According to Aprilaire, this air cleaner will prevent the build-up of dust and dirt which leads to expensive maintenance or premature failure. This same build-up if left unchecked, will also reduce the efficiency of your heating and cooling system. The more efficient your heating and cooling system, the quicker it can heat and cool your home, the less energy it will use and the more money you can save.
The experts are predicting an even greater threat from the H1N1 flu this upcoming flu season. Now is a good time to investigate heating and cooling options for your home. You will not only be providing germ-free, cleaner air for your family, but will reap the benefits of a more efficient heating and cooling system, resulting in lower heating and cooling bills.
Sources: http://cdc.gov/h1niflu/
www.medicalnewstoday.com
www.ACHRNEWS.com
www.trane.com
www.aprilaire.com
www.epa.gov
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