COVID, Quickly is a Scientific American podcast series.
This is a quick update on the COVID Pandemic. We will show you the science behind the questions about the disease and the virus. We help you understand the research.
I'm Tanya Lewis.
Josh Fischman is the person.
Scientific American's senior health editors are going to talk about reducing infections by improving indoor air quality.
A lot of people approve of masks on planes and other precautions despite what you see on the news.
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We talk a lot about COVID and the importance of masks. There is a longer-term solution to stopping airborne infections that doesn't require a filter across your face.
Lewis is absolutely correct. The quality of the air inside our buildings needs to be improved. We spend 90 percent of our time indoors, but we don't do much to make the air good for us. Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech, said that we don't rely on people to filter their water individually. We provide clean, safe drinking water.
Good point. Why don't we care more about indoor air? It isn't like we just realized that breathing is important for health.
Lewis said it was a recent building design issue. In the last 40 years or so, we began to seal things up more in the name of energy efficiency. tighter seals make it easier for the virus that causes COVID and other germs to accumulate in the air, making us sick.
We created another problem when we solved one. There should be standards for indoor air quality.
There are kind of. The ASHRAE sets standards for all our buildings. The rules are meant to protect equipment.
I'm less important than a refrigerator. It sounds like it is time for an update.
Yes, it is. The Biden Administration launched a push to improve the quality of air inside buildings. It has three pillars. The amount of fresh outdoor air you bring in is called vechicle. The more fresh air, the better.
Fischman is good. The second pillar is the Filtration. High-quality air filters are used to remove virus particles. The filters have names that stand for efficiency and effectiveness.
Lewis: Correct. For example, UV light can be used to kill a virus in the air. The Biden administration put out a guide for building managers and anyone who wants to upgrade the air quality in their home. We will put a link in the transcript.
On paper, this sounds good. Also expensive. I would worry if I couldn't afford to run a small business or a school. Is it possible that I would have to pay the bill myself?
Great question, Lewis. State, local, and Tribal governments will get $350 billion to support some of the improvements in the American Rescue Plan. Congress doesn't want to keep funding the response, so it's unlikely there will be a lot more federal money allocated for it. Businesses with the resources are taking it upon themselves to upgrade their air quality.
That leads us to part way there. There is an argument that this is more than good health. It's good business, right?
The benefits of fresh air go beyond COVID and other respiratory diseases. Joseph Allen is the director of the Healthy Buildings program at Harvard. Studies show that poorly ventilated places affect performance.
We all know how bad it is to sit in a conference room.
Lewis is right. We all need to breathe clean air.
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A judge in Florida struck down the mask mandate for airplanes and public transportation. People were taking photos of their masks being thrown away.
News videos of people cheering on planes were also shown. The videos give the wrong impression.
They represent the minority of Americans.
Most people want masks on planes, trains, and public transit. 59 percent of people are correct. According to a poll by the National Opinion Research Center and the AP. About 1000 Americans were surveyed, of various ideologies. They got the question before the judge ruled against the mandate, and before the Biden Administration said it would appeal the ruling.
Lewis: More than half? The people with the loudest voices get the most attention. The majority of people in this country support taking public health precautions. If you look at the numbers, 66 percent of Americans have gotten fully vaccine. That's 219 million.
The number of doses given out doubled this month compared with March. The NBA has more than 90 percent of players get shots. 99.5% of employees in the airline industry did so, according to United.
Videos capture the shouting. The data shows the caring, and that's something to keep in mind.
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Lewis: Now you are up to speed. Our show is edited by a woman.
Come back in two weeks for the next episode. You can find updated and in-depth COVID news atSciAm.com.
The above text is a transcript.
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