Staying Current & Being Prepared
Experts believe that the effects of Covid-19 will be long lasting. “Exactly how long remains to be seen,” said Marc Lipsitch, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of public Health.³
The world has changed in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The impact of COVID-19 remains a massive operational challenge even today.
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The virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, is spread mainly from person to person and between people in close contact. Respiratory droplets are released in an infected person’s coughs or sneezes. It may be possible for a person to contract COVID-19 by touching a surface or object with the virus on it and then touching his/her own mouth, nose, and/or eyes. Contact, droplet, airborne and surface transmission are possible vectors for spreading disease.
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These range from mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Some people infected with the virus have reported experiencing non-respiratory symptoms. Other people, referred to as asymptomatic cases, have experienced no symptoms. Complications, such as pneumonia in both lungs, can lead to death, particularly in the elderly, immunocompromised/ immunosuppressed, or in those individuals who have underlying health conditions. The CDC reports that symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure.
An open letter signed in July 2020 by more than200 scientists and engineers concluded that"there is every reason to expect" that SARS-CoV-2 transmission by airborne micro-droplets is an important transmission pathway.
Hand washing and social distancing are insufficient to provide protection from virus-carrying respiratory micro-droplets. Additional focus on effective ventilation along with measures to enhance airborne infection control was recommended.¹
How COVID-19 Spreads
COVID-19 Symptoms
Transmission of SARS-CoV-2through air is sufficiently likely (such) that airborne exposure to the virus should be controlled.²
- American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
COVID-19 Surface Sampling & Detection
SARS-CoV-2 investigations focus on identifying environmental contamination in infected areas and the potential for transmission to adjacent areas. Sampling approaches included swab sampling of surfaces for COVID-19 and air sampling followed by DNA-based PolymeraseChain Reaction (PCR) analysis.
ECA has partnered with SGI Compliance andALS global leaders in providing laboratory testing, inspection, certification and verification solutions to identify COVID-19 virus-contaminated surfaces in your facility.
Staying Current & Being Prepared
While we continue to face challenges relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, owners may seek to prepare their facilities to meet the needs of the 'new norm'.
ECA offers air treatment solutions for HVAC to minimise disease transmission with a particular focus on reducing the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2through air and improving overall Indoor AirQuality (IAQ) for the health and safety of occupants, especially in the cruise ship, marine and healthcare industry, and the built environment.
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¹Lidia Morawska, Donald K. Milton, "It Is Time To Address Airborne Transmission of COVID-19",Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 2020, Web Sep 2021,https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/71/9/2311/5867798
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²"Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response Resources from ASHRAE and Others," Web Sep 2021,https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/resources.
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​³Siobhan Roberts, "This Is The Future of the Pandemic," The New York Times," May 8, 2020, Web Sep2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/08/heath/coronavirus-pandemic-curve-scenarios.html