DOH advice: Conduct activities in open air spaces, install exhaust fans in toilets
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health advised the public Monday to conduct activities in open air spaces, install exhaust fans in comfort rooms and avoid using recirculated air option for vehicles as experts continue to study the potential airborne transmission of the new coronavirus.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the DOH has issued Department Memorandum 2020-0429, which outlines the administrative and engineering controls to improve ventilation and air quality in enclosed, indoor spaces and lessen the transmission of the virus.
“While there is still no conclusive evidence of airborne transmission, the DOH is recommending that we should ensure adequate ventilation for enclosed spaces such as workplaces, comfort rooms and vehicles,” Vergeire said in Filipino in a briefing.
Open windows and doors too
The department memorandum states that open air spaces should always be prioritized in choosing where to conduct activities.
“When an activity cannot be moved into an open air setting, opening windows and doors should be put into practice to facilitate the flow of outdoor air into the space, when possible,” the memorandum read.
The DOH also said that individuals should not be situated directly in the flow of air coming from fans and air-conditioning units as these may facilitate the transmission of the virus by directing air from infected individuals to others in the room.
It added that device settings that encourage recirculated air when no ventilation takes place should be avoided as much as possible.
“If this is not possible, air cleaning and disinfection procedures may also be used. In non-hospital settings where ventilation is greatly recirculated or access to outside air is not feasible, filters such as high-efficiency particulate air filtration air purifiers can be used to clean recirculated air provided that the unit is adequate for the size of the room in which it is installed in,” it said.
Ventilation in CRs, vehicles
The DOH suggested the installation of exhaust fans in comfort rooms, especially the communal ones.
Closing the toilet seat lid while flushing is also advisable to “minimize the release of droplets into air flows after flushing,” the department memorandum read.
For vehicles, natural ventilation and access to open air are recommended. The agency also advised against using the recirculated air option for the vehicle’s ventilation during passenger transport.
“Utilize the car’s vents to bring in fresh outside air and/or lower the vehicle windows,” the department said.
Current evidence suggests that COVID-19 spreads through direct, indirect—or through contaminated objects and surfaces—or close contact with infected individuals through mouth and nose secretions.
Last week, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidelines on how COVID-19 spreads by including information about the potential for airborne spread of the virus.
“There is evidence that under certain conditions, people with COVID-19 seem to have infected others who were more than 6 feet away. These transmissions occurred within enclosed spaces that had inadequate ventilation. Sometimes the infected person was breathing heavily, for example while singing or exercising,” it said.
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