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London- (BBC):
A doctor working for the British Public Health Service says the very idea of people keeping their windows tightly shut “makes their heads explode with anger.”
According to a prominent engineer, he embarrasses his family in restaurants by “wandering through windows trying to get fresh air.”
They are part of a growing group of doctors and experts concerned about how the Corona virus accumulates in crowded rooms, and they say authorities must emphasize the importance of getting fresh air, especially in the winter season when people gather indoors. .
What is the problem?
Dr Ellier Hughes, who runs a clinic in North Wales, says the government’s call to “wash your hands, cover your face and distance yourself socially” is not working enough.
This call appears in the form of a slogan on the platform that Prime Minister Boris Johnson uses to present his brief statements in front of Downing Street, which gives it great importance, but Dr. Hughes, who has been known as “Doctor in Air Fresh “for his campaign on this issue – he thinks the catchphrase should become:” wash hands, social distancing, cover face, replace air. “
And he says that replacing polluted air in rooms with fresh air from outside can dramatically reduce the chances of people becoming infected.
The Isle of Anglesey City Council in Wales is believed to be the first in the UK to display signs with the logo consisting of four words instead of three.
Dr. Hughes says the new message has attracted worldwide attention.
“I tell people: let this year’s Christmas gifts be fresh air.”
What does science say?
At the beginning of the pandemic, authorities focused on what was supposed to be the most likely route of contagion. One of them, the risk of touching any contaminated surface, hence the long-standing guidelines for frequent hand washing.
The other way is to get infected by the droplets that come out of the mouth of someone close to the person when sneezing or coughing, and this led to the issuance of a recommendation of social distancing for a distance of not less than two meters, and then wearing masks in the face.
But the possibility of a third route of transmission, through tiny virus particles that remain stuck as a residue (dust) in the air, is now widely accepted and accepted.
This was mentioned by health advisers to the British government earlier this year and has been endorsed by the World Health Organization.
In recent days, US authorities have gone further, saying: “Inhaling airborne droplets and aerosols is believed to be the main method of spreading the virus.”
And “to face this danger, hand washing, social distancing and the use of masks do not guarantee a complete defense against infection by the virus.”
Do open windows really make a difference?
The answer is yes, the conviction of Sean Fitzgerald, and his personal mission is to improve ventilation whenever possible.
He is a professor at the Royal Academy of Engineering at the University of Cambridge, but that does not prevent him from “trying to open windows that have been painted closed or that have not been maintained for years.”
“I have to get out if I can’t open it,” he says, “I refuse to be in a stuffy place.”
According to Fitzgerald, research shows that bringing in a good amount of fresh air to reduce the intensity of airborne viruses and dispersing them can reduce the risk of infection by 70-80%.
He supports guidelines on hand washing, social distancing and wearing masks, but says that breathing fresh air “always ranks fourth, or is often not mentioned at all.”
“What worries me is that we have not yet reached the winter cold that hits our faces, but this season actually means that people are staying indoors and the windows are usually closed.”
And he adds: “My biggest concern is that with the new strain of the virus, we know that keeping dust (aerosols) low will be of great importance, and this means maintaining adequate ventilation of the places.”
What are the risks?
Dr. Fitzgerald points to new research conducted at a restaurant in South Korea that sheds light on how far the virus can spread indoors.
Using the contact tracing app and surveillance cameras, the scientists were able to determine how two other people were infected inside the restaurant, despite the fact that one of them was sitting more than 4 meters and the other more than 20 meters from the source of infection.
And even though all three people were in the same room for only a few minutes, that was enough for the air conditioning to push the virus through those long distances.
“Aerosols can travel several meters once they are released into the atmosphere,” says Fitzgerald.
He adds, “Two meters does not guarantee your safety, the only thing that guarantees is good ventilation. If the restaurant windows were opened, the results would be different.”
But what about staying in cold weather?
It’s not about keeping all the windows in the house open all day, Fitzgerald says, but about making sure there is enough room for fresh air.
The answer is to add another layer of clothing that she wears. As Fitzgerald puts it, “I recommend wearing a sweater rather than just a top or shirt with short sleeves on the inside.”
“But this is what we must do anyway to save our heating bills and reduce our energy demand, as we all fulfill our duty to address climate change,” he continues.
Dr. Hughes says that airing rooms for a few minutes several times a day won’t lose a lot of heat, but it will keep people in a safer atmosphere.
So your idea for a perfect Christmas present this season is to buy some heat-trapping underwear.
