Humidification Is Key In Combatting Viruses!
It turns out dry air isn’t just bad for your skin. Low humidity can also impact your chances of catching coronavirus (COVID-19) this winter.
We’re told to wear masks, to keep our distance from others, and when indoors, to opt for spaces that are well ventilated. Now, with the onset of dry, wintry weather and heaters running full blast, add another strategy to reduce the risk of transmission: humidification.
Humidity has been studied for decades as a crucial factor in understanding how airborne diseases spread. Along with people spending more time inside, dry air is believed to be the reason why most viruses thrive in wintertime when indoor heating is at full blast.
Luckily, regulating your home’s humidity is surprisingly easy. Most modern homes have humidifiers built into their HVAC, and those that don’t can benefit from a humidifier.
But be careful not to overdo it. Too much humidity, along with a failure to keep the units clean, can lead to a different health problem: the growth of mold.
The reason moisture helps the nose filter viruses has to do with what lines its insides: tiny hair cells (called cilia) and mucus. These are not the kind of nose hairs you can see, but their microscopic cousins, which “beat” in a pulse-like fashion, carrying mucus toward the back of the nose to the throat.
It’s the first line of defense in the immune system. A human being swallows close to a quart of mucus every day, carrying countless viruses to the stomach where they are safely dissolved in acid. Yet in a dry environment, mucus becomes thicker and the hairs are less able to move. Viruses can sail past this protective lining and penetrate cells deep in the airways.
In addition to drying out the nose, cold weather can lead to more cases of COVID-19 in other ways. More activities take place indoors, where there is less fresh air and people cluster together, potentially spreading infection. And evidence suggests the actual virus particles fare better in cooler, drier temperatures.
As with so much else in the pandemic, multiple factors are at work. No one layer of protection is foolproof. But increasing hydration and humidity can help.
Your nose and health will thank you!
Call the experts at Total Mechanical Systems at (860) 314-1518 to learn more and get the perfect humidifier for your home to keep everyone safe, comfortable, and healthy!
Source: https://www.health.com/condition/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/honeywell-germ-free-humidifier-reduce-coronavirus-spread
Source: https://www.inquirer.com/health/coronavirus/covid-humidifier-monell-dry-air-nose-filter-viruses-20201214.html
