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Today we live in one of the most health conscious times in history. We wipe down surfaces, sanitize
our hands, and go to a great length all in an effort to avoid germs, but do our efforts
really work. Are less people getting colds, flu, and other viral or bacterial diseases,
unfortunately, no. In fact the most recent flu seasons have been some of the worst in
years. Every year 5% to 20% of the US population becomes ill from the influenza virus and sick
employees cost our economy over $220 billion every year. So with all our germ prevention
efforts why aren’t we getting less sick, part of the answer is that today’s health
education and marketing focuses on surface cleaning and hand hygiene, but we have overlooked
something far more unavoidable and often more influential in causing illness. The air we
breathe. While germs, viruses, and bacteria do eventually land on surfaces they are first
airborne and that’s when we have the greatest chance to inhale or even swallow them and
become sick. Germs become airborne all around us by infected individuals when they sneeze,
cough, talk, or simply breathe. A single sneeze can launch a cloud of infectious droplets.
A facilities ventilation system can further spread infectious airborne contaminates by
pulling them up and throughout the room as well as to other areas of the building. The
fact is that the air around us can harbor more threats to our health and wellbeing than
the surfaces we try to keep clean or simply avoid. In addition to viruses and bacteria
indoor air can contain pollen, dust, dust mites, dander, mould, odour, and volatile
organic compounds which surface cleaning does little to address.