Ventilate!

Alberto J.Schuhmacher, head of the Molecular Oncology group at IIS Aragón, speaks in Heraldo de Aragón about the need to ventilate in the face of the new increase in respiratory viruses

The covid-19 pandemic hurt us a lot, but it taught us several lessons that we are forgetting. It is amazing that, after experiencing a virus of fear that paralyzed us all, in the face of the 'tripledemic' of flu and covid that the health authorities announce, there are so many people saying that they just have a 'cold' and not taking action.

Children are once again seen taking medicine at the door of the schools and, despite increasing the sale of antigen tests Lately, when they cost the same as two rods, many people prioritize two rods.

Mask and distance are key, as well as promoting other hygienic measures known to all, but also ventilate. Covid-19 taught us that we must pay more attention to the air we share and breathe. We now better understand how many respiratory viruses remain in tiny particles that we call aerosol sprays and that can remain suspended in the air. Just as we don't drink water from a pond, we shouldn't breathe 'stagnant' air. Ensuring adequate ventilation in a home, classroom, workplace or business should not be limited to simply opening the windows or door for a short period of time each day. Nor does it mean freezing with a window or door open if there is no current. Ventilating implies the constant renewal of air. To clean the air of this 'smoke' we must generate a slight continuous, distributed and crossed air current that renews the air and carries these aerosols away.