As winter gets closer, the onset of cold and flu season becomes an increasingly pressing concern for many. From December to February, influenza-related infections peak, making awareness and preparedness essential during the fall. Various factors contribute to the higher incidence of illness during this time, including environmental conditions and changes in our social behavior. Understanding these dynamics, along with effective prevention strategies, can help us navigate the winter season while safeguarding our health and the health of those around us.
In this article, air quality experts from Camfil explain how air filters and air purifiers can help prevent the spread of the flu this fall and winter.
When is Cold & Flu Season in 2024?
According to the CDC, infections, hospitalizations, and deaths related to influenza viruses peak between December and February, but flu activity usually begins to increase in the United States in October and the exact timing tends to vary regionally. Doctors recommend taking precautionary measures such as immunization and refining your sanitation practices in September and October.
Why Do We Get Sick More in the Winter?
Healthcare professionals suggest a combination of factors are to blame for increased rates of certain illnesses in colder weather.
Firstly, a variety of pathogens thrive in lower temperatures, so their rates of reproduction increase during the fall and winter months.
Secondly, colder weather often drives people to gather indoors in both large and small groups for longer periods, increasing the chances of exposure to infected respiratory droplets and aerosols.
Finally, our immune systems often become less effective in the winter as our bodies respond to cold temperatures by prioritizing essential functions such as regulating internal temperature. This shift in focus can compromise our immune response, making us more vulnerable to viruses and bacteria that thrive during this season. Additionally, factors such as reduced sunlight exposure can lead to lower vitamin D levels, which play a crucial role in immune function.
The combination of indoor gatherings, where viruses can spread more easily, and the tendency to be less active can further weaken our defenses. To support our immune health during winter, it’s important to maintain a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals, stay physically active, and engage in good hygiene practices.
READ MORE: Why Do We Get Sick More In Cooler Months
Does COVID Spread More in the Winter?
There is research suggesting that colder temperatures are associated with higher levels of COVID-19 transmission, with countries closer to the equator seemingly experiencing a slower spread of the virus during the first year of the pandemic.
However, experts have been unable to find evidence for the SARS-Cov-2 virus being among those that reproduce faster and transmit more effectively during the winter. Instead, COVID rates may be lower in hotter temperatures because of the higher amount of certain types of UV light, which can kill the virus, and the positive effect of sunlight on the immune system.
How to Minimize Risk of Getting Sick this Winter
Wash your hands. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly and often to prevent infections from pathogens picked up from surfaces. Place visible signs reminding employees, guests, and building tenants to follow this practice, or making hand sanitizer readily available in common areas.
Keep surfaces clean. Regularly disinfect surfaces, especially in common areas, to eliminate pathogens and infected droplets that have settled on them. Equipment (such as printers) and office supplies (such as pens) that are regularly handled by several people should also be cleaned regularly to the greatest degree possible.
Cough and sneeze into your elbow. Coughing and sneezing are unavoidable, even when you’re not sick. While it doesn’t completely eliminate the risk of spreading droplets, the CDC officially recommends coughing and sneezing into your elbow rather than your hands to help reduce the spread of pathogens.
Stay home when you are sick. Not only does resting boost your immune system, staying home when you are feeling unwell protects others from getting sick. This is particularly important for protecting those with weakened immune systems, for whom catching a common illness could lead to severe health complications or even be life-threatening. Staying home when you are sick is a responsible action that safeguards community health and well-being while also promoting your own recovery. If telecommuting is an option in your workplace, this can be an alternative to using sick time.
Consider masking if you are symptomatic. Wearing a mask that fits properly to prevent the spread of illness has been considered common practice and basic manners in many countries since long before the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are experiencing symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, a sore throat, or congestion, consider wearing a PPE mask.
Open windows to increase ventilation. When windows are opened, fresh air from the outside is allowed to circulate into the room, diluting and displacing the stale air that may contain infectious airborne particles, including viruses and bacteria. This process reduces the concentration of these pathogens in the air, thereby lowering the risk of transmission to individuals within that space.
Review your facility’s air filters. Discover the appropriate air filter for your facility by assessing your needs and your HVAC system’s capacity with Camfil’s user-friendly Air Filter Upgrade Selection Tool.
The Role of Air Filters in Reducing Winter Infection Rates
Air filters play a pivotal role in maintaining a healthy indoor environment, especially during the winter months when people spend even more time indoors than usual. Illnesses spread by airborne transmission thrive in heavily populated indoor environments because they are more easily spread from person to person.
Due to the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), allergens, and other particulate pollutants, poor indoor air quality can exacerbate symptoms of respiratory illnesses such as colds, COVID, and the flu, making the subjective experience of being sick worse and lengthening recovery time. Effective air filtration systems are essential in removing these harmful particles from the air, thereby reducing the risk of sickness.
Air filters for HVAC systems play a critical role in maintaining a healthy indoor environment by reducing the presence of harmful pollutants and pathogens that contribute to illness. These filters are designed to trap and remove various sizes of particulate matter, including dust, pollen, mold spores, bacteria, and viruses from the air as it circulates through heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. The effectiveness of an air filter is measured by its Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) rating. Filters with higher MERV ratings can capture smaller particles more efficiently, thus offering better protection against airborne illnesses.
For buildings and facilities looking to minimize the risk of sickness, especially during peak seasons for colds, flu, and other respiratory ailments, upgrading to high-efficiency air filters such as individually factory-tested and certified HEPA or high-rated MERV-A filters is ideal. HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters are capable of trapping 99.97% of particles that are 0.3 microns in diameter or larger, effectively filtering out most airborne pathogens.
However, it is essential to balance the level of air filtration with your HVAC system’s capability. Many HVAC systems simply lack the physical space required to house a real HEPA filter, and in other cases, high-efficiency filters may restrict airflow too much for some systems to handle efficiently without modification. Therefore, consulting with HVAC professionals before upgrading your air filters is recommended to ensure compatibility, prevent potential system strain, and avoid purchasing a product that won’t do what it promises to.
Regular maintenance and timely replacement of these air filters are equally important to sustain indoor air quality at optimal levels. Neglected or clogged filters not only fail to stop pollutants but can also degrade HVAC system performance and increase energy consumption.
While simple hygiene practices like handwashing remain important in preventing winter sicknesses, integrating effective air filtration systems into our homes and workplaces offers an added layer of protection against airborne diseases. By prioritizing indoor air quality through effective filtration, we can create safer environments for ourselves and our loved ones during the colder months.
For assistance finding the right air filters for your building, contact your local Camfil representative.
About Camfil Clean Air Solutions
For more than half a century, Camfil has been helping people breathe cleaner air. As a leading manufacturer of premium clean air solutions, we provide commercial and industrial systems for air filtration and air pollution control that improve worker and equipment productivity, minimize energy use, and benefit human health and the environment. We firmly believe that the best solutions for our customers are the best solutions for our planet, too. That’s why every step of the way – from design to delivery and across the product life cycle – we consider the impact of what we do on people and on the world around us. Through a fresh approach to problem-solving, innovative design, precise process control, and a strong customer focus we aim to conserve more, use less and find better ways – so we can all breathe easier.
The Camfil Group is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, and has 31 manufacturing sites, six R&D centers, local sales offices in 35+ countries, and about 5,200 employees and growing. We proudly serve and support customers in a wide variety of industries and in communities across the world. To discover how Camfil USA can help you to protect people, processes and the environment, visit us at www.camfil.us/
Sources:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-87692-z
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/whats-new/flu-summary-2023-2024.html
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