“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana, The Life of Reason,
1905. From the series Great Ideas of Western Man.
There has been talk about the pandemic being behind us…But sadly, we are just between the pendulum swinging into the next outbreak from a new COVID-19 variant. I know we are all weary of the pandemic and would like it to be behind us but, that cannot mean we become complacent. We are condemned to repeat the past if we do not learn from it.
This is a call to action! Now is the time to prepare, not to become indifferent. We must actively pursue and implement technologies to not only improve indoor air quality but to help protect occupants and reduce the risk of illness transmission. With historical accuracy we can predict we will see another pandemic; it is merely a matter of when. There are no borders a pandemic cannot cross.
As a community and nation, we must rally behind safe and sustainable mitigation practices. We can create standard best practices for safer indoor air and codify them, AHSRAE 241 – to help reduce the spread of infectious aerosols.
In the interim, what measures are we taking to prevent or mitigate the next cycle of illness? Now is the time to prepare, not to become complacent. We must actively pursue and implement technologies to counter airborne disease threats. Historical patterns indicate that another pandemic is inevitable. COVID-19 demonstrated that pandemics know no borders. Therefore, what are we doing differently to be better prepared for the next outbreak?
We must advocate for safe and sustainable mitigation practices. Consistent proactive measures like ventilation and filtration improvements are the most recommended strategies (by industry experts) for preventing the transmission of infectious aerosols. Ventilation and Coronavirus (COVID-19) | US EPA Establishing standard best practices and codifying them is essential. Utilizing products with proven efficacy through third-party testing and data is crucial.
Sustaining these interventions requires ongoing monitoring of indoor air quality, proper ventilation, and high-efficiency filtration. High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtration is the most effective method for removing airborne viruses. HEPA filters capture viral particles by moving contaminated air through the filter, thereby capturing, and preventing these particles from being inhaled. If they cannot get into our body, they cannot make us sick.
https://www.ashrae.org/about/news/2023/ashrae-publishes-standard-241-control-of-infectious-aerosols
Prepare for the next wave of COVID-19, RSV, influenza, and other respiratory viruses. Take the initiative, be prepared and ready for the next ‘season of illness’ by implementing HALO HEPA Air Purification Stations to purify indoor commercial spaces without the need for HVAC upgrades. HALO is ductless and is easily installed with the optimal placement at the center of the ceiling. The airflow pattern it creates allows HALO to achieve complete room air mixing, eliminating stagnant zones where viruses can linger. This approach is essential for maintaining safer environments and cannot be achieved with PAC (portable air cleaners).
Now that we know what works, let us learn from the past and be prepared and protected to help prevent the spread of infectious aerosols and disease in the future. It is time to stop getting knocked around by all this illness!
To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services along with the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response will be providing free COVID-19 tests again at the end of September. You can request four free tests per household here:
https://covidtests.gov/.