There has been a massive cultural shift as a result of the widespread global pandemic.
Beyond the irreversible upheaval and of the world economy, many day to day practices have been altered to an unbelievable degree.
We can’t shake hands, give hugs, walk the aisles of a grocery store without a face mask, and we have to be even more mindful and vigilant of consistent handwashing. Sadly, the degree of acceptance of these practices varies from person to person, with some stuck in a delusional headspace where they insist they’re impervious to the wrath of the virus. One huge factor in preventing indoor exposure to the virus from one person to the next is air flow. A single exhale can put vapor particles in the air around a person by at least six feet if a fan or air current isn’t present, otherwise the vapor particles could go in a number of different directions. The factor that worries many people are heating and cooling systems. It’s not so much about moving the viral particles from a few feet away from the infected person, it’s much more worrying than that. What happens in many small buildings like dentist offices and homes is that the central HVAC system is in a closed loop and never pulls in outdoor air. Unless the owner was smart enough to use a filter that is equal in density to a HEPA, or installed UV-C bulbs in the air handler, those viral particles will get pulled through the air return and scattered throughout the building or home as the a/c runs throughout the day. One person could infect an entire house of people in the course of seconds just by standing next to an air return while contagious.