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People are encouraged to open their windows this winter to reduce the risk of contracting coronavirus.
The Health Department has released a video showing how virus particles remain in enclosed spaces.
It also shows how letting in fresh air can reduce the risk of infection by more than 70%.
Coronavirus it is spread through the air by droplets and smaller particles known as aerosols when they are exhaled through the nose and mouth of an infected person while breathing, speaking, or coughing.
They move in a similar way to smoke, but are invisible, and most virus transmissions occur indoors, where particles can hang in the air for hours and accumulate over time.
The longer people spend in the same room as these particles, the more likely they are to become infected.
As winter approaches and people spend more time indoors, experts recommend opening windows for about 15 minutes at a time regularly during the day, or leaving them open a small amount continuously.
The campaign, launched Wednesday, also advises using kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans as another method to remove infected particles from the home.
Public Health Minister Jo Churchill said ventilation is “essential” during winter.
She said: “As the weather gets colder and wetter, letting in fresh air in a short blast helps reduce the risk of coronavirus in our homes.
“We should all remember: open the windows and ‘hands, face, space.’
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Professor Catherine Noakes, from the University of Leeds who advised on the film, added: “When a room has no fresh air, and where people are generating large amounts of aerosol through activities such as singing and loud speech, it is when the coronavirus is transmitted it is more likely.
“The fresh air must come from outside; the recirculated air just means that the aerosols containing the virus move around the same room instead of being extracted outdoors.”
Ventilating indoor spaces is particularly important when you have visitors, and if a household member has the virus, it can help prevent transmission to other members.
The campaign film is part of the larger ‘Hands. Expensive. Space Orientation, and was created with scientists and an engineer from the University of Leeds.
