In the context of the current developments at the meat manufacturer Tönnies in Rheda-Wiedenbrück, there is currently a public discussion as to whether the ventilation system in operation could have contributed to the spread of the coronavirus.
Martin Exner, professor at the Institute for Hygiene and Public Health at the University of Bonn, is quoted in a WDR report from June 24th, 2020. There it says: Exner has identified a ‘previously overlooked risk factor’ in his investigations. The hotspot of the germs is the ventilation system.
Domestic ventilation systems
Residential ventilation systems achieve a dilution effect through the exchange of air in the respective rooms
The manufacturers of domestic ventilation systems organized in the BDH differentiate this blanket reporting with regard to ventilation technology. They point out that ventilation and cooling systems are usually a system operated with circulating air. However, end-users could mistakenly equate them with the home ventilation systems produced by BDH members.
Residential ventilation systems, on the other hand, ensure a continuous exchange of air and can also use fine dust filters to filter suspended particles from the outside air. “Apartment ventilation systems work in balanced operation and lead pre-tempered and filtered outside air into the rooms and stale air to the outside. This ensures a constant exchange of air,” says Barbara Kaiser, head of the domestic ventilation department at the BDH.
Residential ventilation systems achieve a dilution effect through the exchange of air in the respective rooms, which reduces the specific load of viruses that may be present in the room per cubic meter.