During the last century (give or take a few years) there have been four pandemic outbreaks. Most of them involve the influenza virus (commonly called the flu), the H1N1 being the most recent in 2009.

Today, it is the Novel Corona Virus, which is something, unlike anything we could have ever imagined. This virus sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, doesn’t it?
While many people are under quarantine, being told that they are “safe at home”, I think this saying should be amended a bit to something along the lines of “safer at home than in public” for example.

This is because, since the 1990s, improvements in isolation and ventilation techniques have prevented the transmission of airborne diseases, such as TB (tuberculosis) and other diseases that are spread via the air.

The COVID-19 virus is another virus that is spread via airflow. This doesn’t change because you stay inside your home. One hospital study[1] found that an aerosol spray from one room transferred to another room 14.5 meters away via the ventilation system.

You Mean I’m Not Safe at Home?
Not exactly. Most modern homes use a ventilation system whereby the outside and interior air goes through a filter before it is pumped out into the rooms of the home.

To remove pollutants, including viruses, from the air circulation in your home, you need to use a HEPA filter. Note that this will only trap the virus in the filter. It won’t kill the virus, however. Some studies suggest that the virus might be able to live as long as 9 days inside the filter, depending on temperature and humidity levels. It might be wise to spray the filter every few days with Lysol or another type of disinfecting product. You can wear a mask and gloves when changing the filter and place it in a plastic bag for disposal as an extra precaution.

Is That the Only Thing I Can Do?
There is another thing to consider, the insulation in your home.
You will need to inspect the sealing on the doors and windows, replacing or repairing them as necessary to make an airtight seal, but that is not my area.

I want to discuss the areas of your home where unfiltered air can enter your home and bring contamination in with it.

Nearly everyone is familiar with the pink fiberglass insulation. Many homes have that type of insulation in the attic, but did you know that while fiberglass traps some of the air, it mainly allows air to pass through it?

Pink fiberglass insulation acts more like an air filter in some cases, but it is certainly not a HEPA filter!

There are other areas of your home that have zero insulation, especially if your home is an older model built before the late 1990s. Home built before 1950 are notorious for having zero insulation.

Picture the crawl space above the garage roof, or a crawl space under the home, the attic, and even around the HVAC unit itself if it is in the attic or a small space under the house.

Depending on the type of walls your structure has, it could also be leaking air through tiny cracks or the floorboards on the ground level could also allow air to seep in from outside.