The recent widespread removal of mask mandates across the country emphasizes improving and maintaining high-quality indoor air in public facilities.
No More Masks, but Indoor Air Quality Needs Remain the Same
Recently, in a joint statement, the Governors of Washington, Oregon, and California announced the relaxing of state-wide mask mandates in schools.
Additionally, California's Governor announced the lifting of mask mandates for unvaccinated persons in public facilities.
Per the Los Angeles Times;
California, Oregon and Washington will stop requiring masks in schools after March 11, the governors of the three states said Monday in a joint statement.
California will also lift its remaining indoor mask mandate for unvaccinated people in public settings on Tuesday, according to the announcement.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its guidance on Friday about how to decide where the risk of infection was high enough to warrant restrictions.
Based on the new criteria, which give more emphasis to strains on hospitals and less to new case reports, the agency said that about 70 percent of Americans could safely stop wearing masks and maintaining social distance.
The C.D.C. also loosened its guidance for mask-wearing in schools, saying that it was necessary only in counties considered high-risk under the new criteria. Before Friday, the agency recommended mask mandates for schools everywhere.
Covid News: Three West Coast States Will Ease School Mask Mandates
Federal regulations still maintain mask requirements in specific high-risk environments, such as public transportation and healthcare facilities, but recent changes to the US Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) COVID-19 guidelines could signal a relaxation in counties with little to no COVID spread.
According to Government Executive;
Federal agencies can relax their mask and testing protocols in the wake of new public health guidance.
If the COVID-19 community transmission is “low” in the county where the federal facility is, then agencies don’t have to mandate that individuals wear masks while in that facility, regardless of their vaccination statuses, and don’t have to use their screening testing program.
If the level is “medium,” then masks aren’t required and for screening testing, agencies should use their preexisting screening testing programs.
And then if the level is “high,” then masks are required and use their screening testing programs.
However, according to the guidance, the “CDC notes that some settings, such as high-risk congregate settings, might include additional layers of prevention.
In addition, recommendations based on COVID-19 Community Levels may not apply in healthcare settings, which should follow relevant regulations and guidance.”
Federal Agencies Can Relax Their Mask and Testing Requirements
However, the decline in COVID cases does not erase the historical challenges indoor air quality has posed to public health.
Potential Public Health Challenges Posed by Mask Mandate Relaxation
While the removal of mask mandates is widely viewed as a positive step forward on the long road to returning to normal, it should not be considered a license to relax facility health and safety guidelines enacted to halt the spread of airborne respiratory viruses.
SARS-CoV-2 is not the first airborne microbe to disrupt public life, and it will not be the last.
Further, some believe that indoor mask mandates may have been dropped too quickly and that we will be living with SARS-CoV-2 and its variants for years to come.
As states drop mask mandates, some organizations are concerned government officials are moving too fast.
To address this and prevent the spread of the coronavirus, these organizations are selecting advanced, sanitizing air-purifying systems for their facilities.
Even though mask mandates are coming down, some public health officials believe we will be living with the coronavirus for years to come.
To address this challenge and resolve several long-standing IAQ challenges in public facilities, many in the industry feel that commercial-grade air purification systems--HEPA filters capable of capturing particulate matter with a diameter of fewer than 2.5 micrometers with a 99.99 percent sanitizing efficiency--are required.
However, airborne viruses are not the only challenge to IAQ--much of which is negatively impacted by occupant behaviors and sanitization methods.
How COVID sanitization Challenged IAQ
Before the onset of the pandemic, indoor air pollution was widely viewed as one of the top five issues challenging public health.
During COVID--an airborne respiratory virus that primarily spreads via inhalation--the need to control indoor air quality reached an all-time high.
However, counterintuitively, the virus was attacked with countless gallons of corrosive surface disinfectants that not only failed to address the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus but contributed to further degradation of indoor air quality.
Once scientifically accurate information achieved widespread public dissemination, methods to combat infection transmission changed to more recognizable clean for health measures that began with proper indoor ventilation, soap and water, and occupant hand hygiene--progressing to targeted sanitization with approved products and only leveraging facility-wide sanitization based on need instead of panic.
Post-COVID Measures to Ensure High IAQ
In addition to high-performance indoor air purification systems, ensuring high levels of IAQ will require:
- The adoption of cleaning and sanitization methods and products that do not negatively contribute to indoor air pollution.
- An increase in natural and mechanical ventilation through enclosed facilities to disperse indoor air pollution and force it outdoors and through filtration systems.
- The addition of biophilic architecture to naturally absorb indoor toxins.
- Published recommendations to occupants regarding high-outcome safety precautions while indoors.
- Upgrades to high-occupancy facility HVAC systems to include UV-C sanitization appliances, and;
- Ongoing training programs for custodial providers to prevent accidental chemical spills, mixtures, and surface cross-contamination.
References & Resources
- Indoor Air and Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Experts Expect Interest in IAQ to Continue after COVID
- Maintaining Healthy Indoor Air Quality During COVID-19: What You Need to Know
- Indoor air quality improvement in COVID-19 pandemic: Review
Takeaway
As we progress onward past the COVID pandemic, we must make positive use of the hard-learned lessons of the last two years.
Chief among those are the impacts indoor air quality has on occupant health and how occupant actions affect IAQ.
Implementing high-performance indoor air purifiers combined with cleaning and sanitization methods scientifically proven to combat the spread of surface and airborne pathogens over the last two years will significantly improve occupant health and facility health.
Implementing and maintaining the required systems and labor resources in-house may prove cost-prohibitive for many organizations.
Outsourcing is a proven method for onboarding highly in-demand cleaning and sanitization services and experience for a fraction of the price of maintaining a similar service in-house.
If you would like more information regarding the effectiveness of high-performance infection prevention and control measures, or if you would like to schedule a free, no-obligation on-site assessment of your facility's custodial needs, contact us today for a free quote!
In Bakersfield, CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Fresno, CA, call (559) 206-1059
In Valencia, CA, or Santa Clarita, CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Palmdale, CA or Lancaster, CA, call (661) 371-4756
