OPINION OF IONAIR ON COVID-19 (FROM APRIL 2020)

Due to the COVID-19 (also named as SARS-CoV-2 or new coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, the world finds itself in an extraordinary situation. As experts in indoor air quality and hygiene, we receive many questions from our customers with regard to the potential benefits of the ionair products. With this opinion, we are trying to inform our customers objectively about the current scientific status.

Important: The opinion has been aligned with FOPM (Federal Office of Public Health).

Over the last few weeks, we have conducted intensive research in the international ionair network (authorities, associations, and universities), and thus, we can express the following opinion. In doing so, we are referring particularly to the following sources:

  1. ASHRAE Position Document on Airborne Infectious Diseases
    (approved by ASHRAE Board of Directors January 19, 2014 and Reaffirmed by the Technology Council February 5, 2020, Expires August 5, 2020)
     
  2. REHVA COVID-19 guidance document, March 17, 2020
     
  3. WHO Getting your workplace ready for COVID-19


The following opinion can be derived from this:

  1. The most important measure for preventing infection includes hygiene measures communicated by FOPM (https://bag-coronavirus.ch/).
     
  2. It has been proven that airborne particle (aerosols) serve as transmission vehicles of microorganisms. Like bacteria and microorganisms, viruses can be transmitted via the air.
     
  3. The risk of an infection via the air rises with an increase in the aerosols. Every measure for reducing the aerosols mitigates the risk of infection. Possible measures include increasing the air exchange with good, filtered outdoor air and improving the filter separation rate in the indoor air systems.
     
  4. The use of technologies (e.g. UV, air ionization) for the controlled reduction of microbiological germs in the mechanical ventilation systems must be effective.

The conclusion from the perspective of ionair:

ionair’s products are demonstrably effective in terms of improving air quality and hygiene (realizing an approximate 50% reduction in TVOC and olfactometry, and an approximate 50% reduction in fine dust, and a more than 95% reduction in microorganisms including, among other things, bacteria, germs and mold spores). The indoor air becomes cleaner and the number of harmful substances is reduced. In general, the cleaned air has a higher content of oxygen ions and a slightly increased content of ozone – however, this ozone is harmless.

Finally, one can conclude that clean air lowers the risk of infection. Since ionair products help in regard to producing clean air, ionair can contribute to lowering the risk of infection. In doing so, it must be noted that at present, one cannot make any quantifiable or authoritative statement on the reduction of viruses and specifically the reduction of SARS-CoV-2.

We at ionair consider it an obligation to research the transmission of viruses via the air and to offer our own expertise to international networks.


OPINION OF IONAIR ON COVID-19 (english)

OPINION DE IONAIR À PROPOS DU COVID-19 (français)

STELLUNGNAHME IONAIR ZU COVID-19 (deutsch)