COVID – 19 Policy
We know COVID-19 (Coronavirus) can be spread the following ways:
- directly, through contact with an infected person’s body fluids (for example, droplets from coughing or sneezing)
- indirectly, through contact with surfaces that an infected person has coughed or sneezed on and which are, therefore, contaminated with the virus
There is no evidence that Covid-19 can spread through air-conditioning systems, according to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID)
Although there is no evidence of airborne transmission through ventilation or air-conditioning units, increasing the cleaning frequency of these units should be considered according to authorities.
Ventilation and Air-Cleaning Strategies
Because small particles remain airborne for some time, the design and operation of clean HVAC systems that move air can help prevent disease transmission in several ways, such as by the following:
- Supplying clean air to susceptible occupants
- Containing contaminated air and/or exhausting it to the outdoors
- Diluting the air in a space with cleaner air from outdoors and/or by filtering the air
- Cleaning the air within the room
Ventilation represents a primary infectious disease control strategy through dilution of room air around a source and removal of infectious agents.
Unfortunately, natural ventilation, such as that provided by windows, is not covered as a method of infection control by most ventilation standards and guidelines due to unknown external pollutants.
Temperature and Humidity
Many HVAC systems can control indoor humidity and temperature, which can in turn influence transmissibility of infectious agents.