All coronavirus health protocols speak about it: in companies, schools and places receiving the public, it is essential, and even mandatory, to air the premises every three hours for about 15 minutes or “make sure there is an enough new air supply provided by the ventilation system”.
And yet, the simple gesture that opening windows has been reminded to the French, by the French President on his televised interview on October 14: "Get some fresh air and open the windows to air the room", Emmanuel Macron recommended, adding how important it was to also wash your hands and wear a facemask.
For a few days now, doctors have been asking the government to add this to the official guidelines. How come? According to Hôpital Cochin hospital hygiene unit chief Anne Casetta in Le Parisien: “opening windows wide enables to lower the concentration of virus in the air. We know that contamination depends on the infectious dose. The more it is diluted the lesser the risk of being infected. Most of the virus goes outside”.
This simple gesture shall be performed daily, not only because of coronavirus: opening windows vents atmospheric polluting agents that are irritation factors for the upper airways. Despite the cold. And even if you have a mechanical ventilation system.
According to the WHO, this summer, the CDC (Center for Disease Control) has officially added aerosols to the list of likely modes of coronavirus spread and has changed its recommendations: “Avoid crowded indoor spaces and ensure indoor spaces are properly ventilated by bringing in outdoor air as much as possible”.
According to a study carried out by INSERM (French National Institute for Health and Medical Research), people living in cramped or overcrowded places are 2 to 4 times more exposed to coronavirus, showing the importance of renewing the air in order to fight against coronavirus.
