Manage your home to prevent COVID-19
By Christine G. Crocker, Executive Director of the Maine Indoor Air Quality Council | Article updated on 02/22/21
“SHELTER IN PLACE” is the catch phrase we have all heard, and heeded, during the COVID-19 pandemic. But how can we know whether the place in which we choose to shelter ourselves, primarily our homes, is as safe as it can be? There are things that we can do to minimize our risk of transmitting COVID-19 to others, even at home.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve learned a lot about SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, including the important role airborne virus particles play in transmitting the disease. Public health guidelines now recommend a variety of strategies to reduce exposures indoors. In addition to personal precautions that we use out in the world – wearing masks, physical distancing and washing hands – these include:
Ventilation
Filtration
Cleaning.
As you can see, there is no single strategy that completely prevents exposure to COVID-19. Rather it is the combination of various efforts that will provide the greatest reduction in risk of virus transmission indoors, as much as 95% when all strategies are implemented.
And there’s a nice side benefit of these strategies – especially ventilation, filtration and cleaning. They’re great for creating a healthy home environment generally, not just during a pandemic!
Here are some tips to manage your home for COVID-19.
VENTILATE.
Bringing in fresh air and exhausting out pollutants, including airborne virus particles, before they make people sick is an excellent strategy for reducing the risk of exposure to COVID-19. If you have a ducted recovery ventilation system – an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) or heat recovery ventilator (HRV) – consider increasing the ventilation rate to increase the number of air changes per hour in the home.
If you don’t have an installed mechanical ventilation system, create your own. Periodically open your windows and doors to allow for natural ventilation, using both upper and lower sashes if you have double-hung windows. In winter months, crack them open just a tiny bit. If your kitchen or bath fans are vented to the outside, use them to create airflow across your living spaces, drawing in fresh air on one side and exhausting it out the other.
Use your kitchen and bath fans, especially if vented to the outdoors, to create whole-house ventilation.
Caution: Using windows and fans to ventilate your home on hot, humid days can increase the temperature and introduce a lot of moisture to the indoor environment. Monitor your relative humidity indoors using a simple device available at any hardware store and try to keep it below 60%. A dehumidifier can help, too.
INCREASE FILTRATION.
It is possible to filter virus particles out of the indoor air, thus reducing exposure risk.
Homeowners with ducted heating or cooling systems (hot air furnace, central cooling) may be able use these systems to capture virus particles. A MERV 13 or better filter is needed to trap COVID-19 virus particles, and it must fit properly. Contact your heating/cooling system contractor for guidance. The CDC recommends changing the filter every three months and having your system serviced annually.
If you don’t have a ducted heating or cooling system, use a portable air cleaning device. When selecting a product, consider the following:
1) The filter needs to be fine enough to catch virus particles, which are very, very small. HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) devices are easy to find and are recommended for COVID-19. Other filter sizes capable of capturing COVID-19 particles are MERV-13, ePMI1, MPR1900 and FPR10.
2) Be wary of extra technology. It is more important to capture virus particles than it is to inactivate or kill them. Some products emit pollutants, such as ozone, that are not healthy for people.
3) Get the right size for your space. Most portable air cleaners have a clean air delivery rating (CADR). Match the CADR to the size of the space you plan to place your filter in. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has good guidance on their website for proper selection, placement and use of air cleaning devices.
4) Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for changing the filters. When changing the filter for COVID-19, use gloves, a face mask and eye protection and bag the filter before removing it from the indoor space and disposing of it in the trash.
CLEANING.
Airborne virus particles can land on surfaces, where they can survive for hours. You can catch COVID-19 when you touch a surface and then touch your eyes, mouth or nose.
Cleaning the surfaces of your home with simple soap and water will remove dirt, germs, viruses and impurities from these surfaces.
Using a disinfectant introduces chemicals into the indoor environment, which can put individuals with chemical sensitivities at risk.
If you choose to use a disinfectant, do so with adequate ventilation and follow the EPA’s six-step guidance for safe, effective disinfectant use:
Use only products listed on EPA’s “N” list of approved products.
Follow the directions on the label.
Clean with soap and water first before disinfecting.
Follow the contact time.
Wear gloves, a mask and eye protection and wash your hands after use.
Safely store your product after use.
What if someone in your house is sick?
First, isolate: Anyone who is sick should, if possible, use a separate bathroom and sleeping space and stay away from others in the household as much as they can. Bring them what they need and drop it off. This includes not only chicken soup, hot tea and tissues but cleaning and disinfecting supplies, if the person who is under the weather is able to clean up their area every so often.
Then follow all the practices identified above – personal precautions, ventilation, filtration and cleaning – to reduce the risk of transmission to others in your household.
Of course, anyone with a fever and symptoms of respiratory illness, such as cough or difficulty breathing, should be tested for COVID-19. If your symptoms do not require emergency care, go to a walk-in or urgent care facility. Call ahead to let them know you’re on your way.
Stay safe and healthy at home! G&HM
Additional information and resources about SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 and indoor air quality are available on the EPA website at epa.gov/coronavirus and the website of the Maine Indoor Air Quality Council: maineindoorair.org.
This article appeared in the Fall 2020 edition of Green & Healthy Maine HOMES. Subscribe today!
Article updated on 02/22/21