춥고 건조하면 코로나19 전파 커질 위험...실내 '환기•가습' 중요<br /><br />For years, doctors have known viruses spread more rapidly in cold dry air.<br />That's why winter is so devastating for flu cases and deaths and now the same is holding true for Covid-19.<br />Key to reduce the risk of transmission: wear masks, mind our distance from others, but also when indoors, opt for spaces that are well ventilated.<br />Now, with the onset of dry, wintry weather and heaters running full blast, add another strategy: humidification.<br />Choi Won-jong tells us why.<br />With the freezing weather and strict social distancing measures, more people in South Korea are staying indoors.<br />Last month, the health authorities urged people to hunker down this winter.<br />"As we are facing winter, there are more indoor activities but with less indoor ventilation,... this means more risk of spreading COVID-19. I think this may be a reason why the second pandemic is occurring globally,... particularly in the northern hemisphere."<br />According to a preliminary report from Japanese scientists in April this year, it suggested that the odds that an infected person transmitted COVID-19 in an enclosed space was 18-point-7 times greater than in the open air,... meaning places with poor ventilation may have a higher risk of COVID-19 infection.<br />So why is it so vital to increase ventilation to prevent the spread of COVID-19?<br />"Aerosols that are made up of droplets can float in the air for a long time. There could be a higher risk of COVID-19 infection if the virus floats in aerosol particles in enclosed spaces during winter."<br />He added that the low humidity in winter makes ventilation even more important.<br />"The humidity drops in winter, which can reduce the moisture in the droplets or aerosol further. This will allow it to float in the air for longer. "<br />And, the low humidity in winter affects the humidity inside people's air passages.<br />This can weaken our immune systems and ability to fight COVID-19.<br />To keep homes well ventilated, people should open their windows for at least 5 minutes every hour.<br />The expert also says... for office settings where more people are staying for a longer period of time, workers should open windows... for at least 10 minutes every hour.<br />Choi Won-jong, Arirang News.<br />
