CONTROLLING COVID-19 TRANSFERENCE

Through Heating, Ventilation & Air-Conditioning Systems (ProQuest: ... denotes formula omitted.) While information regarding the exact mode of transmission of COVID-19 is limited, some cases demonstrate that the virus can be transferred as the result of virus-laden aerosolized droplets traveling through heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. Air Sanitization The concept of control layering dictates that to increase the probability of control success, redundancy is necessary. [...]in addition to adequate ACH, air sanitization must also be utilized to control the transference of COVID-19 through HVAC systems. UV Germicidal Irradiation Systems Unlike a standard air filter or an electrostatic air cleaner, a UV air treatment system uses concentrated UV light to destroy a wide array of indoor air pollutants. Conclusion Given the information discussed and data available, the best course of action to prevent the spread of COVID-19 via an HVAC unit is to 1) ensure that potentially infectious individuals are not within 5 meters (about 16.5 ft) of the HVAC inlet duct; 2) measure the ACH of each affected space and take necessary steps to achieve an ACH value of 6 or greater; and 3) install air sanitation filters, UV light systems (or both) on the inlet side of HVAC systems that recirculate air from inside the building.