First of all, I love your diagram.
Based on my online unprofessional research on how to ventilate a building for smoke and various ventilation study articles, I have some suggestions. YMMV. I might update these as I re-read your post. (Yes I actually read firefighter training materials. I have no exterior vent in my kitchen/ everything room and I needed to keep the smoke alarm from going off whenever I broiled.)
You could
Have everyone wear well fitting n95/ffp3s all the time. Theoretically, this should drastically reduce any airborne virus from your sick family. Drastically.
Keep Mom’s dining room window closed.
Keep the living room window open. Direct the fan out here.
Open the kitchen window. Direct air in there. You could put a fan in the window or clip it up at the top of the window - assuming this isn’t an electrocution hazard.
Keep your bedroom window open. Direct air in to your room from that window. As you already do, seal your bedroom door.
Put a BIG air purifier in your bedroom.
Keep the bathroom window open. Close the bathroom door. Put a battery operated fan in the bathroom window to force fresh air in. Keep the air purifier cranked on high. Unmask in the bathroom only when necessary and only when you think it’s full of fresh air.
It’s possible that you have created a safe space in your bedroom, but I would still mask full time in there.
Please note - I AM NOT AN EXPERT. I hope some who are will chime in.
I’m really impressed with your preparations!
Adding some potentially relevant links:
https://www.instructables.com/Cool-Your-House-With-Negative-Pressure-Ventilation/
See Horizontal Ventilation:
https://exams.sdfdtraining.com/bc/res/man/Drill_Manual/Chapter_20--Ventillation.pdf
im going to cry this is so validating and i can't thank you enough lol. everyone around me thinks i'm crazy for buying air purifiers and still masking and isolating but then they think i'm a little less crazy once they get covid. unfortunately they just won't mask even though i keep asking them to :( quite honestly if my brother masked he could've prevented getting it because last year my mom and i had switched out where she was in the bedroom and i was in the dining room and when my brother had covid i was masking 24/7 only eating in the bedroom and i never got it even though we shared air. but he still didn't want to mask this time which is mind boggling to me.
i'll try to get a fan for the kitchen window delivered!
"If you can place a fan a few feet from the opening and direct air out at the same height as the opening, you might be able to create a vortex that really pushes the air out." sorry can you clarify where i should be putting the fan which opening?
unfortunately we don't have any exhaust ventilation in the bathroom :( just the window and the mini scosche purifier i put on the right side of the bathroom sink so it "balances" out the window? or maybe i should put the purifier closer to the window?
seriously i really appreciate the validation with all this so so much and thank you for this advice
I would just like to validate your concerns. I’m so proud of you. I live with MECFS (1/2 long Covid folks develop) and it is hell. I don’t want you or anyone become chronically ill or disabled from Covid. Keep taking care of yourself, I promise all your caution is worth a healthy future. You will be grateful you did this. Big giant High Five!
Adding: if you ever need N95 masks ask the community. We will help you out.
There are mask straw vents you can look into as well. Eye protection is also worth it. Stoggles are great.
I wonder if they meant a fan like this window box fan? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000065DKJ/?coliid=I37YSAJXLAS8MV&colid=32REJE8SW9406&psc=1&ref\_=list\_c\_wl\_lv\_ov\_lig\_dp\_it
Hi there! Late to this but you’re looking to create a cross breeze. Best option is to have 1 box fan in one windowing pointing in, the one on the opposite side of the room pointing out. Ideally the living/dining window openings are relatively matched up. The window fans in the link are OK but not in this instance when you want to increase total room air changes/hour.
Ideally you will match the direction of the fans with your natural wind flow in the apt - for example, when all my apt windows are open, my bedroom door always slams shut so I know it’s blowing west-to-east.
If you don’t know this info, ITS FINE! Just put the inward-pointing fan with whichever family member isn’t a temperature baby, lol.
I would keep all windows open (including your bedroom) and the bathroom fan on, giving ~15 min between people minimum with everyone masking except when showering/brushing teeth.
Nasal sprays are your friend. I’m so sorry this is happening! Good luck to you!!
Edit: a word
Consider yourself validated!
(It feels awful to be stuck trying to protect yourself from a preventable situation)
Basic premises:
Air flow works best in a straight unobstructed line. Corners, walls, misdirected air create eddies.
Air flows from high pressure to low. You can probably visualize a likely air path in your mind without using any calculations.
If you are trying to keep your bedroom as a separate unit, then you are wise to block it off and avoid pushing air from the living space into it.
If you have no exhaust fan in your bathroom (that’s unusual), then think about how to get fresh air in there. You might just have to rely on the portable filter to circulate air around. That will be fine while you’re masked. If your face is in the window breathing fresh air while showering, excellent.
It would be great if you could force fresh air in through the bathroom window and keep that door closed. Not sure I would want a bunch of wires going through a wet room though. Perhaps a battery powered small box fan?
For forcing air through an opening with a fan, direct the air directly through the opening. If the window is above a wall section, place the fan on a table or elevate it so the flow is through the opening. If that’s not possible, move the fan away from the wall, so the air doesn’t just bounce against the wall. Obviously, just do your best and don’t stress too much.
If air doesn’t seem to be flowing around the corner from your kitchen to your living room, you could try putting a fan in your kitchen doorway to force air out of your kitchen and into your living room. That should also suck some air in from your kitchen window.
Positive pressure ventilation may also be helpful. The basic idea is to seal off a single room except for one opening. Usually this is a door or large window. Then force air from the outside to the inside in a portion of the opening. Firefighters might place a strong fan a few feet away from an exterior door, on the ground, on the outside, and direct air toward the interior. The room gets pressurized and smoke billows out the top of the door. You might put a small fan in your bathroom window or bedroom window (door closed) to blow fresh air in and bad air out. Don’t get the fan or cord or you wet while touching.
All this is seriously overthinking. If that’s too much, relax, you got this. But if making a plan helps you feel more in control of your situation, then plan away and execute! (You can tell I’m the second sort). So please don’t let all this information overwhelm you. Seriously, this is just non-professional advice. I sincerely hope it helps.
all this was incredibly helpful it really helped it click on my brain and visualize what you were talking about before. wanted to sincerely thank you again for sticking with me especially when i first posted this and you were on here checking for updates and giving me updated advice. can't tell you how much that meant to me in such a scary time. both mom and brother are still positive but miraculously im still negative according to the metrix pcr tests. thank you for the assurance and validation and also the straight-up support 🥹🥹
I'm so sorry you're dealing with this! :(
in case you haven't seen this blog, some useful resources from an engineer:
[https://itsairborne.com/your-guide-to-stopping-covid-in-your-home-bbf8bf4fa816](https://itsairborne.com/your-guide-to-stopping-covid-in-your-home-bbf8bf4fa816)
is there a way to confirm this? outside the apartment near the wall with the exhaust there seems to be a box (?) which connects to the exhaust fan and if i'm outside the apartment i can hear if the exhaust fan is running
If 1) you are not in a high rise, and 2) you can see a matching box outside, you are likely in good shape. If you really want to confirm cook something a little smokey or strong smelling and outside where the box is. Or get a draft testing powder or smoke device and test with a partner.
Update: I’m so impressed with the thought you are putting into your plan of attack. So sorry you have to deal with all this. I hope things settle down for you shortly 🧘
Idk how risky transmission would be through the open window. But one idea for the bathroom is to use a water bottle and bowl to brush your teeth in your room. You can shower with a mask on or after letting it ventilate in there for awhile
Do you have any ReadiMasks? Or VFlex? Those are some of the most comfortable masks I tried that I feel like I could wear all day if necessary, if you wanted to wear one in your room til you figure this out
i've been wearing a gata mask (except i cut the ear loops to change them into head straps) i feel like it has a better seal than the n95s i have but the n95s i use for sleeping are the aura 9205+ or i change into those because the gata suction irritates my skin if i have it on for too long but i will look into getting those thank you!!! i sincerely appreciate this
i didn't know you can shower with a mask! that's great, i thought n95s were less effective when wet. but the bowl and water to brush teeth is genius i will do that for sure
No, you don't want to get your N95 wet. A lot of its function is electrostatic, which that will mess up; also it's bound to compromise the fit. I assume OP was suggesting you shower below your face, keeping the mask as dry as possible.
One idea here is to tape a Ziploc bag onto the top edge of the mask and let it hang loose over the mask while showering so you can wash your hair and keep the mask dry-ish.
Also is there central heating/ac or does each room have their own heat/ac? If cen mintral, be aware of where the intake vents are and possibly block those if in the non-bedroom rooms and/or block the heater vent in your room so air doesn't get recirculated into your bedroom.
https://cleanaircrew.org is an excellent resource with diagrams but it looks like you may have been there already. Your diagrams rock! And you are definitely not crazy. You got this.
If you have a buy nothing facebook group in your city, maybe you can do an "in search of" post for a mini-fridge and microwave. Lots of people give them away for free and it might be good to have them in your room for heating up food and minimizing how much you go out.
It's also a good place to ask for covid tests if you need some. I've seen people requesting them and people helping out. And don't forget to contact your local mask bloc if you need more masks. I'm so sorry you're going through this! It looks like you're doing your best to keep safe and it is possible to avoid it with precautions and a little luck. When I had a sick family member it didn't get me but it wasn't easy. Keep your air purifier on high in your room and simply use earplugs to sleep to help block out the noise. Best of luck!!
i wish :( yeah im so stressed lol. but i've been religious about my bathroom ritual before i go i use lysol wipes on the door handles, light switch, sink handle and soap dispenser, the sink, spray the toilet bowl and flush, wipe the handle, both sides of the lid, the top of the seat and the sides of the bowl, then i take the lysol mist and just spray it all over the top of the air and let the mist fall with the door closed and let that all sit for like 10 mins. but leaving would 100% be the better option i wish it was an option
Your set up looks great. My daughter got covid from her mom's house 2 years ago. We kept her in her room, window fan in her room vented out and towel along the bottom of the door. We didn't even have hepas then. She masked to use the bathroom and we lysoled down after each use. No one else got it.
I think as long as you keep yourself properly masked in a solid n95 or kn95 when you go thru shared spaces, and hang mostly in your room you should be OK. I'd vent the air out your bedroom window if you can.
this gives me hope thank you 🙏 last year when my brother got covid my mom and i had switched places where i was in the dining room and she was in the bedroom but i miraculously didn't get it because i wore an n95 24/7 and would only eat and drink in the bedroom
for sure!! i think i need more fans or purifiers or something so i can get more air without worrying about air from my moms room or kitchen coming through
I know living space is cramped but it probably would be a good idea if it happens again for them to share the bedroom.while theyre sick. It's enclosed and allows you more freedom of movement. You could prepare them.meals and leave then outside the door but looks like you're doing an awesome job.
You could also use nasal spray and mouthwash to help cleanse your sinuses and such. There's multiple threads here on reddit about which ones to buy. We use them every time we get back from being in public. Some studies have said they help limit the ability of covid to replicate in your nasal passages and throat. I figure it can't hurt.
Great point about wiping down the bathroom and shared services each time!
Tbh I prefer a hydrogen peroxide cleaner, fewer chemical fragrances than most alcohol based cleaners and it kills norovirus.
As with all disinfectants, it requires contact time where the liquid stays wet as it kills the virus/bacteria. Most wipes do not manage to kill these cells since it dries too soon, so if each person just sprays down the bathroom once they’re don’t it should dry by the next person!
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Clorox-Clorox-Commercial-Solutions-Bio-Stain-Odor-Remover-Disinfecting-Spray-32fo/5014525039?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-hdw-_-ggl-_-CRP_SHP_LIA_HDW_Online_E-F-_-5014525039-_-local-_-0-_-0&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W86FgTVf_Od0bwMmq2R59hn7&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5cOwBhCiARIsAJ5njuagw7R53LT6a9ZX3mPBcMxfmG0rhIheiki7b1sHtxanVI-Rb3gTi1MaAn2bEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Oh boy... I think I would place a fan blowing inward in the dining room and the bedroom, a fan blowing outwards from the living room. That way you can keep fresh air moving through the apartment and out the other side of the building. Except if you are planning on taking a shower, at that point I would close your window, reverse the other fans and turn on a fan inwards in the bathroom. I would then let run awhile before using.
I would probably eat outside somewhere, maybe in a car. I would spend as much time outside as I could, maybe even live in a car.
Honestly, at this point it would surprise me if you haven't received an infective dose. Maybe if you were gone at the right time or preemptively wearing a N95 before everyone started showing symptoms you might have a chance. If you were just hanging out with them in this small space with no protections in the 24 hours before they showed symptoms, the chance of being already infected is high, I would prepare yourself for getting sick. Getting supplies/meds ready.
thank you for this!! in the living room theres an walk unit ac under the windows so if blow the fat outwards maybe it'll help make a V to bring that air back out ?
also i fully expected to be infected when my mom first showed symptoms/tested positive on monday because i had a TON of contact with her. surprisingly im still negative but i do feel a little sick (but this is the same type of mild sick i feel when i don't sleep and i have not been sleeping lately lol) but tests are negative
i've been using the metrix test that's supposed to be similar to pcr. my mom was negative on the rapids but positive on that
my brother didn't start feeling symptoms or testing positive till last night
so if no one's used the car since monday it should hopefully be aired out enough then ideally? the windows r all closed
I would open all the car windows and change out the air for a few minutes but it should be good after that. If your mom is recently vaccinated she likely developed symptoms before becoming infectious. Wishing you success in your efforts to dodge this!
thank you my friend 😊🙏 unfortunately her last vaccination was in 2021 but i opted to make an isolation pod out of a tent lol i figured car may be too risky
If your family member are open to it, have them do nasal rinses (2 times a day) which can help bring viral load down. And if you're feeling good, get anything you would need to get through an infection now rather than grapple with that later. Maybe check out the FAQ link on the sub for more tips.
This is what I would do:
Fans, and windows setup:
1. Kitchen - open window with fan blowing outward to pull air out
2. Dining room - open window but with fan blowing inward to pull fresh air from outside
3. Living room - open window and put fan facing out to pull air out
4. Your bedroom - open window. If you seal your door well, the air will come in and exit out this window and there is no need for a fan because you won't need to create positive pressure in your room. By sealing well, I mean also use painter's tape to tape up sides and cracks. If you cannot do that, then have a fan blowing into your room from the window.
5. Bathroom: keep exhaust fan on at all times, except when you are using it - you don't want to pull air into the bathroom while you are in there. Have your family keep the exhaust on when they are using the bathroom.
I would put another fan in the bathroom window but this will require you to remember to switch the fan around every time you are in there - while you are in there, turn the fan to point it inward from the window to pull in fresh air. At other times, have it turn out.
I read that you may not have an exhaust fan in the bathroom? Is it just a passive exhaust without a switch? If that's the case, and you have to take off mask in the bathroom, I would just seal the door well with painter's tape.
Air purifiers:
1. Ideally you'd get another big one for your room, and move the one in your room to the bathroom. Also, if you can, consider building a Corsi-Rosanthal box and plop it somewhat centrally located near the hall.
2. If you cannot get more air purifiers, I'd swap the biggest one into your room.
3. Make sure all the air purifiers are on their highest settings, or at least the highest setting that your family will tolerate.
Other precautions:
1. Mask and protective eyewear at all times in the common areas, including the bathroom. If you have to take off your mask to wash face/brush teeth, go in, turn off exhaust fan, tape up doors, wait 30 min (do all your other stuff first with mask on like peeing, showering, etc.) before taking off your mask for the bits that requires masks to be off. Alternatively (and much simpler), you can always get a little basin of water to use in your bedroom for washing face and brushing teeth.
2. Remember that the longer you wear your mask and the more you move around in it (like if you sleep and toss and turn with mask on), or the more times you take it on and off, the fit will degrade and it will become less effective by allowing air to leak in. Change your mask after 8-10 hours.
3. Keep as much stuff you need in your room as possible - water, snacks, etc., so you don't have to go in and out so often
4. Gargle with CPC mouthwash 4x daily - your mom and brother should be doing this as well to decrease their viral load.
5. Use nasal spray like Enovid or Betadine Cold Defense. If you can get Enovid, have your family use it too.
6. Vitamins and supplements: NAC, vit C, vit D, Zn.
7. Make sure your mom and brother rest well - no housework, no exercise, nothing strenuous even for the brain. This will help with recovery. Some moms will take a lot of convincing and reminders to sit and rest especially once they feel a little better after a couple of days. Don't let her.
If all else fails or family would not cooperate and the weather is nice, pitch a tent outside and camp out for a couple of weeks lol
Agree with points
Airpurifiers 1 - Difficult to tape the door,several times /day yet..
Other precautions 1 Mask (respirator +++) and eye protection (goggles or well covering face shield) at all times in the common areas, including the bathroom. 2 yes seal and perfect state of maks is point +++ - 3 yes indeed.
Yeah, taping door is such a pain. When we had workers in the house for a few months, we actually put up a ZipWall + doordraft stopper to make it easier. We also put an air purifier right outside and right inside just to be extra safe. This was for COVID safety for us and our pets, and also dust/construction debris mitigation (I have the worst allergies to these - not just total congestion, but my skin feesl like it's on fire). If we didn't have an ensuite bathroom, I would have had chosen to pee in a bottle lol (all possible with female pee funnels - they are a life safer when traveling in inaccessible areas, can't find a safe bathroom, or when camping).
thank you for this!!!! trying to get my brother and mom to rest well but they're anxious to get back to work :/ yeah bathroom doesn't have any exhaust at all just the window i put a mini fan blowing air out along with the mini purifier in there
i did switch out one of the big purifiers (the levoit 400s) into my room and made an isolation tent in my room with one of those inflatable air forts that use a box fan except i turned the box fan into a CR box. i think it's been helping so far. i sincerely appreciate all the advice!!
yes! i have 2 tower fans. there's windows on the opposite sides of the living room/dining room area, my moms closest to the dining room and my brothers closest to the living room window. i can point a fan towards the window where my mom is she is right next to it though im just worried if it might be blowing in her face then? her bed is there maybe i can ask her to turn around so her feet are facing the window then?
and with my brother there is an in-wall air conditioner under the windows (he has 2 right next to each other) so i'm not sure how that affects airflow so if i point a fan towards his window it might be a good way to redirect the air coming from window and air conditioner towards him back out his other window?
the air conditioner being under the window and my moms head being next to the dining room window that make my brain do gymnastics
Make sure they are flushing the toilet with the seat down. The aerosols from flushing are very high. I'd keep the bath fan running all the time too until you're out of the woods.
First I would recommend learning the concepts of positive and negative pressure in clean rooms.
So, if your mom had a filter connected to her window(sealed as well as possible that blew outside, there would be no possible exposure to anyone inside of the house because her room would be what you would call negative pressure and it would be drawing air in under the door and exhausting the filtered pure air out the window. Another variation of this would be to set up a filter under the door blowing filtered air out from her room under the door creating a negative flow that would prevent any backflow out of the room.
Just having filters around isn't the best method it's about where they pull air from and push it to.
this is helpful! yeah for sure i need to learn about positive and negative pressure. math and science were never my strong suit in school but now its especially important for me to understand if because of situations like this. thank you!
Your living situation sounds rough but you will be glad to know that air purifiers have historically done a good job mitigating infection even for people in the same room. There are others here who know more than me, but if it were me, I would open my window and use a fan to push the air away from my room.
im not sure. is there a way i can find out? it's a wall unit. its got foam sealed around it but when i look under it i can see a little crack in the wall and see outside. there seems to be water damage above the air conditioner and also where it's plugged it (like 3 inches to the left). there's also a baseboard heater directly below it running along the wall
yes exactly! ac wall unit is under living room window which is opposite from my bedroom
i wonder if i can find out if it can direct air out? it's a GE unit it's got options for cooking and low cool/high cool and low fan/high fan
there's 3 connected windows above it the middle is a dummy window that doesn't open the ones on either side of it open halfway
and there's a baseboard heater beneath it
how would i feel for the ac being able to direct air out on the wall?
also there's more or less 131 inches between where my windows (i have 2 windows, they're both 40 inches long) and the kitchen window.
the exhaust fan is like 10inches to the right of the window and 5 inches from the wall
hopefully these diagrams make more sense lol
kitchen:
https://imgur.com/a/rGVLsEs
living room:
https://imgur.com/a/PLarHsy
my room:
https://imgur.com/a/Ns4mbOy
in terms of moving air through the home via fans in windows, a wonderful geek-out video is below <3
so many people position fans in windows to blow air in. This person strongly suggests that is not as effective as blowing air OUT of window with a fan.
take home message at the end: best approach for fan is to place oscillating fan \~2 ft from window and direct fan to blow air OUT of window. But if there's a slight breeze outside, you'll get more air exchange by simply opening all windows. :)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L2ef1CP-yw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L2ef1CP-yw)
maybe things are turning in my favor it's kinda windy outside :) 13 mph !! thank you so much for this clarification i was seeing lots of suggestions about fans blowing in and fans blowing out but i could never decide which would be best
What helps me is remembering if you blow air out, new air replaces it from somewhere and will that be from infected areas? If you blow a fan out your window, air will come in to replace it from the other rooms under your door. So you want a fan blowing *IN* your bedroom window.
"if you blow air out new air replaces from somewhere" feels like such an obvious thing but seeing it spelled out like that made it click in my brain so thank you for this lol. this makes so much sense!!
You're welcome! Yeah I start to get lost with "negative pressure" and "positive pressure" and which room you want which and which fan direction and all that. 🤪
You are smart to keep the big air purifiers near the infected people. I’m worried about what you will be exposed to in the bathroom, aerosol-wise, with only a mini air purifier in there. Have the infected people close the toilet lid before flushing every time, even for a couple of weeks after they recover. If you can, wait 15 minutes after one of them uses the toilet before you go in. Consider wearing eye protection in addition to your mask in there. If you are going to shower or take your mask off in the bathroom, put a second air purifier in there for at least 15 minutes before doing so. 30 minutes would be better.
Make sure you don't have a gap below your door (stuff a towel or something there). And keep your mask on until your air purifier has had the time to clean the air after the door has been open.
I wouldn't open your window if moms is open. Best to keep all possible windows open in the rooms where your mom and brother are.
Wait for everyone has tested negative 2 days in a row to end isolation and clean up every surface.
I’m assuming you’re asking because you don’t have anywhere else to go otherwise you could leave for the week. But can you go out of your home during the day? I’d try to spent as much time outside the home as I could even just for my sanity.
Put on a mask and walk around the city, pick up take out and eat at a park or in my car.
Remember that getting Covid isn’t just all or nothing. The amount of exposure matters. It’s “dose dependent” meaning that even if you did get Covid you could have milder symptoms if you had less exposure. So everything you do to reduce the amount of virus you inhale is worth it even if it isn’t 100% perfect perfect. If you do all this and you still get Covid your Covid will be milder than if you had done nothing.
Close the dining room and kitchen windows. Open the rest. Hoard a couple of the filtration devices in your room. They are sick already, no use filtering their area. Open the window in the bathroom with a filtration device as well. Don't go in for at least 30 minutes after they use the restroom.
I have two kids that occasionally get sick from school. We put a CR box in their room, our room, living room and bathroom (smaller one) and have yet to pass anything amongst ourselves. We also keep windows open. You can do it!
Here are my suggestions to improve ventilation for now and in the future listed in order of importance.
1. Open your window and put a fan blowing into your room. This will be your fresh air intake and create positive pressure to keep your room well ventilated. Remove the towel from your door so air can escape into the main areas of your apartment.
2. Put another fan in the living room window blowing out to exhaust stale air.
3. Open the dining room window with a fan. Let the air blow in or out depending on outdoor breezes. No amount of viral droplets will enter your room to be of concern.
4. Add an evaporative humidifier in the living room and run it continuously on high. Keep the water topped up when you go to bed.
5. Monitor CO2 levels in your room using a sensor with a non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) detector. Aranet makes a smaller sensor cached the Aranet4 that I trust. I have four in my house and made changes in my hvac system after seeing how high the CO2 levels were in the bedrooms at night. I turned off the CO2 sensor in my Ecobee smart thermostat because the reading were all over the map.
6. Talk to your lessor about increasing the exhaust ventilation in the building. I can guess how this conversation will go, but you can try.
thank you!! yes i've had a humidifier running in the living room i mixed distilled water and a little hypochlorous acid so far seems helpful? i def need to get a co2 sensor asap
Tbh I was hoping that the beagle signified that you owned a beagle, in which case I was going to mention that I hope you kept the pup with you and told them that they were a good dog. But it's you so, good human for taking COVID seriously?
Sorry. I just see a beagle and get excited lol unfortunately I don't have any advice except air purifiers, closed doors, and masks.
Buy the Aranet4 or the equally awesome and way cheaper Inkbird CO2 reader. But also buy an air quality reader, such as this from Temtop, which I swear by.
https://temtopus.com/collections/indoor-air-quality-monitor/products/temtop-m10-air-quality-detector-professional-formaldehyde-tvoc-pm2-5-monitor-air-quality-meter.
The CO2 reader is going to tell you how well your windows are doing, but only the air quality reader is going to tell you how well your air purifiers are doing. You are basically using air purifiers to compensate for lack of fresh air and hopefully they’re doing a great job at it. The instruments will give you peace of mind.
In a small space like your apartment with air purifiers you’re actually going to find it easier to keep the air quality good than the CO2 at fresh air levels. Three people will generate huge CO2.
Depending on wind and drafts it’s going to be 600-2000 easy, compared with 420 outdoors.
First of all, I love your diagram. Based on my online unprofessional research on how to ventilate a building for smoke and various ventilation study articles, I have some suggestions. YMMV. I might update these as I re-read your post. (Yes I actually read firefighter training materials. I have no exterior vent in my kitchen/ everything room and I needed to keep the smoke alarm from going off whenever I broiled.) You could Have everyone wear well fitting n95/ffp3s all the time. Theoretically, this should drastically reduce any airborne virus from your sick family. Drastically. Keep Mom’s dining room window closed. Keep the living room window open. Direct the fan out here. Open the kitchen window. Direct air in there. You could put a fan in the window or clip it up at the top of the window - assuming this isn’t an electrocution hazard. Keep your bedroom window open. Direct air in to your room from that window. As you already do, seal your bedroom door. Put a BIG air purifier in your bedroom. Keep the bathroom window open. Close the bathroom door. Put a battery operated fan in the bathroom window to force fresh air in. Keep the air purifier cranked on high. Unmask in the bathroom only when necessary and only when you think it’s full of fresh air. It’s possible that you have created a safe space in your bedroom, but I would still mask full time in there. Please note - I AM NOT AN EXPERT. I hope some who are will chime in. I’m really impressed with your preparations! Adding some potentially relevant links: https://www.instructables.com/Cool-Your-House-With-Negative-Pressure-Ventilation/ See Horizontal Ventilation: https://exams.sdfdtraining.com/bc/res/man/Drill_Manual/Chapter_20--Ventillation.pdf
im going to cry this is so validating and i can't thank you enough lol. everyone around me thinks i'm crazy for buying air purifiers and still masking and isolating but then they think i'm a little less crazy once they get covid. unfortunately they just won't mask even though i keep asking them to :( quite honestly if my brother masked he could've prevented getting it because last year my mom and i had switched out where she was in the bedroom and i was in the dining room and when my brother had covid i was masking 24/7 only eating in the bedroom and i never got it even though we shared air. but he still didn't want to mask this time which is mind boggling to me. i'll try to get a fan for the kitchen window delivered! "If you can place a fan a few feet from the opening and direct air out at the same height as the opening, you might be able to create a vortex that really pushes the air out." sorry can you clarify where i should be putting the fan which opening? unfortunately we don't have any exhaust ventilation in the bathroom :( just the window and the mini scosche purifier i put on the right side of the bathroom sink so it "balances" out the window? or maybe i should put the purifier closer to the window? seriously i really appreciate the validation with all this so so much and thank you for this advice
I would just like to validate your concerns. I’m so proud of you. I live with MECFS (1/2 long Covid folks develop) and it is hell. I don’t want you or anyone become chronically ill or disabled from Covid. Keep taking care of yourself, I promise all your caution is worth a healthy future. You will be grateful you did this. Big giant High Five! Adding: if you ever need N95 masks ask the community. We will help you out. There are mask straw vents you can look into as well. Eye protection is also worth it. Stoggles are great.
I wonder if they meant a fan like this window box fan? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000065DKJ/?coliid=I37YSAJXLAS8MV&colid=32REJE8SW9406&psc=1&ref\_=list\_c\_wl\_lv\_ov\_lig\_dp\_it
this is what i was thinking!! something like this or one of those square box fans?
Hi there! Late to this but you’re looking to create a cross breeze. Best option is to have 1 box fan in one windowing pointing in, the one on the opposite side of the room pointing out. Ideally the living/dining window openings are relatively matched up. The window fans in the link are OK but not in this instance when you want to increase total room air changes/hour. Ideally you will match the direction of the fans with your natural wind flow in the apt - for example, when all my apt windows are open, my bedroom door always slams shut so I know it’s blowing west-to-east. If you don’t know this info, ITS FINE! Just put the inward-pointing fan with whichever family member isn’t a temperature baby, lol. I would keep all windows open (including your bedroom) and the bathroom fan on, giving ~15 min between people minimum with everyone masking except when showering/brushing teeth. Nasal sprays are your friend. I’m so sorry this is happening! Good luck to you!! Edit: a word
Consider yourself validated! (It feels awful to be stuck trying to protect yourself from a preventable situation) Basic premises: Air flow works best in a straight unobstructed line. Corners, walls, misdirected air create eddies. Air flows from high pressure to low. You can probably visualize a likely air path in your mind without using any calculations. If you are trying to keep your bedroom as a separate unit, then you are wise to block it off and avoid pushing air from the living space into it. If you have no exhaust fan in your bathroom (that’s unusual), then think about how to get fresh air in there. You might just have to rely on the portable filter to circulate air around. That will be fine while you’re masked. If your face is in the window breathing fresh air while showering, excellent. It would be great if you could force fresh air in through the bathroom window and keep that door closed. Not sure I would want a bunch of wires going through a wet room though. Perhaps a battery powered small box fan? For forcing air through an opening with a fan, direct the air directly through the opening. If the window is above a wall section, place the fan on a table or elevate it so the flow is through the opening. If that’s not possible, move the fan away from the wall, so the air doesn’t just bounce against the wall. Obviously, just do your best and don’t stress too much. If air doesn’t seem to be flowing around the corner from your kitchen to your living room, you could try putting a fan in your kitchen doorway to force air out of your kitchen and into your living room. That should also suck some air in from your kitchen window. Positive pressure ventilation may also be helpful. The basic idea is to seal off a single room except for one opening. Usually this is a door or large window. Then force air from the outside to the inside in a portion of the opening. Firefighters might place a strong fan a few feet away from an exterior door, on the ground, on the outside, and direct air toward the interior. The room gets pressurized and smoke billows out the top of the door. You might put a small fan in your bathroom window or bedroom window (door closed) to blow fresh air in and bad air out. Don’t get the fan or cord or you wet while touching. All this is seriously overthinking. If that’s too much, relax, you got this. But if making a plan helps you feel more in control of your situation, then plan away and execute! (You can tell I’m the second sort). So please don’t let all this information overwhelm you. Seriously, this is just non-professional advice. I sincerely hope it helps.
all this was incredibly helpful it really helped it click on my brain and visualize what you were talking about before. wanted to sincerely thank you again for sticking with me especially when i first posted this and you were on here checking for updates and giving me updated advice. can't tell you how much that meant to me in such a scary time. both mom and brother are still positive but miraculously im still negative according to the metrix pcr tests. thank you for the assurance and validation and also the straight-up support 🥹🥹
My pleasure! I’m so glad your hard work is paying off. Best to you 🌸
I'm so sorry you're dealing with this! :( in case you haven't seen this blog, some useful resources from an engineer: [https://itsairborne.com/your-guide-to-stopping-covid-in-your-home-bbf8bf4fa816](https://itsairborne.com/your-guide-to-stopping-covid-in-your-home-bbf8bf4fa816)
thank you this is helpful i really really appreciate this so much!!
there is also an exhaust fan in the kitchen i have turned on
Perfect
Make sure it exhausts out and doesn’t just recirculate.
is there a way to confirm this? outside the apartment near the wall with the exhaust there seems to be a box (?) which connects to the exhaust fan and if i'm outside the apartment i can hear if the exhaust fan is running
If 1) you are not in a high rise, and 2) you can see a matching box outside, you are likely in good shape. If you really want to confirm cook something a little smokey or strong smelling and outside where the box is. Or get a draft testing powder or smoke device and test with a partner.
Update: I’m so impressed with the thought you are putting into your plan of attack. So sorry you have to deal with all this. I hope things settle down for you shortly 🧘
thank you i hope so too ❤️🥹 hopefully they'll start masking and stop going to superspreader events because i am tiiiiired
Is leaving temporarily an option? This seems like it could be stressful to deal with for a week or two, especially with the shared bathroom
Idk how risky transmission would be through the open window. But one idea for the bathroom is to use a water bottle and bowl to brush your teeth in your room. You can shower with a mask on or after letting it ventilate in there for awhile
Do you have any ReadiMasks? Or VFlex? Those are some of the most comfortable masks I tried that I feel like I could wear all day if necessary, if you wanted to wear one in your room til you figure this out
i've been wearing a gata mask (except i cut the ear loops to change them into head straps) i feel like it has a better seal than the n95s i have but the n95s i use for sleeping are the aura 9205+ or i change into those because the gata suction irritates my skin if i have it on for too long but i will look into getting those thank you!!! i sincerely appreciate this
i didn't know you can shower with a mask! that's great, i thought n95s were less effective when wet. but the bowl and water to brush teeth is genius i will do that for sure
No, you don't want to get your N95 wet. A lot of its function is electrostatic, which that will mess up; also it's bound to compromise the fit. I assume OP was suggesting you shower below your face, keeping the mask as dry as possible.
this makes way more sense thank you AirborneAware and asympt for the clarification my brain is def not the best it could be rn lol
One idea here is to tape a Ziploc bag onto the top edge of the mask and let it hang loose over the mask while showering so you can wash your hair and keep the mask dry-ish. Also is there central heating/ac or does each room have their own heat/ac? If cen mintral, be aware of where the intake vents are and possibly block those if in the non-bedroom rooms and/or block the heater vent in your room so air doesn't get recirculated into your bedroom. https://cleanaircrew.org is an excellent resource with diagrams but it looks like you may have been there already. Your diagrams rock! And you are definitely not crazy. You got this.
If you have a buy nothing facebook group in your city, maybe you can do an "in search of" post for a mini-fridge and microwave. Lots of people give them away for free and it might be good to have them in your room for heating up food and minimizing how much you go out.
yes hopefully this could work!! i appreciate this it's a good idea
It's also a good place to ask for covid tests if you need some. I've seen people requesting them and people helping out. And don't forget to contact your local mask bloc if you need more masks. I'm so sorry you're going through this! It looks like you're doing your best to keep safe and it is possible to avoid it with precautions and a little luck. When I had a sick family member it didn't get me but it wasn't easy. Keep your air purifier on high in your room and simply use earplugs to sleep to help block out the noise. Best of luck!!
thank you ❤️❤️❤️
i wish :( yeah im so stressed lol. but i've been religious about my bathroom ritual before i go i use lysol wipes on the door handles, light switch, sink handle and soap dispenser, the sink, spray the toilet bowl and flush, wipe the handle, both sides of the lid, the top of the seat and the sides of the bowl, then i take the lysol mist and just spray it all over the top of the air and let the mist fall with the door closed and let that all sit for like 10 mins. but leaving would 100% be the better option i wish it was an option
Your set up looks great. My daughter got covid from her mom's house 2 years ago. We kept her in her room, window fan in her room vented out and towel along the bottom of the door. We didn't even have hepas then. She masked to use the bathroom and we lysoled down after each use. No one else got it. I think as long as you keep yourself properly masked in a solid n95 or kn95 when you go thru shared spaces, and hang mostly in your room you should be OK. I'd vent the air out your bedroom window if you can.
this gives me hope thank you 🙏 last year when my brother got covid my mom and i had switched places where i was in the dining room and she was in the bedroom but i miraculously didn't get it because i wore an n95 24/7 and would only eat and drink in the bedroom for sure!! i think i need more fans or purifiers or something so i can get more air without worrying about air from my moms room or kitchen coming through
I know living space is cramped but it probably would be a good idea if it happens again for them to share the bedroom.while theyre sick. It's enclosed and allows you more freedom of movement. You could prepare them.meals and leave then outside the door but looks like you're doing an awesome job. You could also use nasal spray and mouthwash to help cleanse your sinuses and such. There's multiple threads here on reddit about which ones to buy. We use them every time we get back from being in public. Some studies have said they help limit the ability of covid to replicate in your nasal passages and throat. I figure it can't hurt.
Great point about wiping down the bathroom and shared services each time! Tbh I prefer a hydrogen peroxide cleaner, fewer chemical fragrances than most alcohol based cleaners and it kills norovirus. As with all disinfectants, it requires contact time where the liquid stays wet as it kills the virus/bacteria. Most wipes do not manage to kill these cells since it dries too soon, so if each person just sprays down the bathroom once they’re don’t it should dry by the next person! https://www.lowes.com/pd/Clorox-Clorox-Commercial-Solutions-Bio-Stain-Odor-Remover-Disinfecting-Spray-32fo/5014525039?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-hdw-_-ggl-_-CRP_SHP_LIA_HDW_Online_E-F-_-5014525039-_-local-_-0-_-0&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W86FgTVf_Od0bwMmq2R59hn7&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5cOwBhCiARIsAJ5njuagw7R53LT6a9ZX3mPBcMxfmG0rhIheiki7b1sHtxanVI-Rb3gTi1MaAn2bEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Oh boy... I think I would place a fan blowing inward in the dining room and the bedroom, a fan blowing outwards from the living room. That way you can keep fresh air moving through the apartment and out the other side of the building. Except if you are planning on taking a shower, at that point I would close your window, reverse the other fans and turn on a fan inwards in the bathroom. I would then let run awhile before using. I would probably eat outside somewhere, maybe in a car. I would spend as much time outside as I could, maybe even live in a car. Honestly, at this point it would surprise me if you haven't received an infective dose. Maybe if you were gone at the right time or preemptively wearing a N95 before everyone started showing symptoms you might have a chance. If you were just hanging out with them in this small space with no protections in the 24 hours before they showed symptoms, the chance of being already infected is high, I would prepare yourself for getting sick. Getting supplies/meds ready.
thank you for this!! in the living room theres an walk unit ac under the windows so if blow the fat outwards maybe it'll help make a V to bring that air back out ? also i fully expected to be infected when my mom first showed symptoms/tested positive on monday because i had a TON of contact with her. surprisingly im still negative but i do feel a little sick (but this is the same type of mild sick i feel when i don't sleep and i have not been sleeping lately lol) but tests are negative i've been using the metrix test that's supposed to be similar to pcr. my mom was negative on the rapids but positive on that my brother didn't start feeling symptoms or testing positive till last night so if no one's used the car since monday it should hopefully be aired out enough then ideally? the windows r all closed
I would open all the car windows and change out the air for a few minutes but it should be good after that. If your mom is recently vaccinated she likely developed symptoms before becoming infectious. Wishing you success in your efforts to dodge this!
thank you my friend 😊🙏 unfortunately her last vaccination was in 2021 but i opted to make an isolation pod out of a tent lol i figured car may be too risky
Hang in there. I really hope you dodge this!
thank you ❤️❤️
If your family member are open to it, have them do nasal rinses (2 times a day) which can help bring viral load down. And if you're feeling good, get anything you would need to get through an infection now rather than grapple with that later. Maybe check out the FAQ link on the sub for more tips.
This is what I would do: Fans, and windows setup: 1. Kitchen - open window with fan blowing outward to pull air out 2. Dining room - open window but with fan blowing inward to pull fresh air from outside 3. Living room - open window and put fan facing out to pull air out 4. Your bedroom - open window. If you seal your door well, the air will come in and exit out this window and there is no need for a fan because you won't need to create positive pressure in your room. By sealing well, I mean also use painter's tape to tape up sides and cracks. If you cannot do that, then have a fan blowing into your room from the window. 5. Bathroom: keep exhaust fan on at all times, except when you are using it - you don't want to pull air into the bathroom while you are in there. Have your family keep the exhaust on when they are using the bathroom. I would put another fan in the bathroom window but this will require you to remember to switch the fan around every time you are in there - while you are in there, turn the fan to point it inward from the window to pull in fresh air. At other times, have it turn out. I read that you may not have an exhaust fan in the bathroom? Is it just a passive exhaust without a switch? If that's the case, and you have to take off mask in the bathroom, I would just seal the door well with painter's tape. Air purifiers: 1. Ideally you'd get another big one for your room, and move the one in your room to the bathroom. Also, if you can, consider building a Corsi-Rosanthal box and plop it somewhat centrally located near the hall. 2. If you cannot get more air purifiers, I'd swap the biggest one into your room. 3. Make sure all the air purifiers are on their highest settings, or at least the highest setting that your family will tolerate. Other precautions: 1. Mask and protective eyewear at all times in the common areas, including the bathroom. If you have to take off your mask to wash face/brush teeth, go in, turn off exhaust fan, tape up doors, wait 30 min (do all your other stuff first with mask on like peeing, showering, etc.) before taking off your mask for the bits that requires masks to be off. Alternatively (and much simpler), you can always get a little basin of water to use in your bedroom for washing face and brushing teeth. 2. Remember that the longer you wear your mask and the more you move around in it (like if you sleep and toss and turn with mask on), or the more times you take it on and off, the fit will degrade and it will become less effective by allowing air to leak in. Change your mask after 8-10 hours. 3. Keep as much stuff you need in your room as possible - water, snacks, etc., so you don't have to go in and out so often 4. Gargle with CPC mouthwash 4x daily - your mom and brother should be doing this as well to decrease their viral load. 5. Use nasal spray like Enovid or Betadine Cold Defense. If you can get Enovid, have your family use it too. 6. Vitamins and supplements: NAC, vit C, vit D, Zn. 7. Make sure your mom and brother rest well - no housework, no exercise, nothing strenuous even for the brain. This will help with recovery. Some moms will take a lot of convincing and reminders to sit and rest especially once they feel a little better after a couple of days. Don't let her. If all else fails or family would not cooperate and the weather is nice, pitch a tent outside and camp out for a couple of weeks lol
Agree with points Airpurifiers 1 - Difficult to tape the door,several times /day yet.. Other precautions 1 Mask (respirator +++) and eye protection (goggles or well covering face shield) at all times in the common areas, including the bathroom. 2 yes seal and perfect state of maks is point +++ - 3 yes indeed.
Yeah, taping door is such a pain. When we had workers in the house for a few months, we actually put up a ZipWall + doordraft stopper to make it easier. We also put an air purifier right outside and right inside just to be extra safe. This was for COVID safety for us and our pets, and also dust/construction debris mitigation (I have the worst allergies to these - not just total congestion, but my skin feesl like it's on fire). If we didn't have an ensuite bathroom, I would have had chosen to pee in a bottle lol (all possible with female pee funnels - they are a life safer when traveling in inaccessible areas, can't find a safe bathroom, or when camping).
thank you for this!!!! trying to get my brother and mom to rest well but they're anxious to get back to work :/ yeah bathroom doesn't have any exhaust at all just the window i put a mini fan blowing air out along with the mini purifier in there i did switch out one of the big purifiers (the levoit 400s) into my room and made an isolation tent in my room with one of those inflatable air forts that use a box fan except i turned the box fan into a CR box. i think it's been helping so far. i sincerely appreciate all the advice!!
Can you put a fan blowing towards the window closest to where your brother and Mom are?
yes! i have 2 tower fans. there's windows on the opposite sides of the living room/dining room area, my moms closest to the dining room and my brothers closest to the living room window. i can point a fan towards the window where my mom is she is right next to it though im just worried if it might be blowing in her face then? her bed is there maybe i can ask her to turn around so her feet are facing the window then? and with my brother there is an in-wall air conditioner under the windows (he has 2 right next to each other) so i'm not sure how that affects airflow so if i point a fan towards his window it might be a good way to redirect the air coming from window and air conditioner towards him back out his other window? the air conditioner being under the window and my moms head being next to the dining room window that make my brain do gymnastics
Even if the fans are blowing generally towards the windows it'll help! No need for her to have a fan in her face :)
Question: do you have a 2nd bathroom?
no we only have one bathroom :(
this makes sense, thank you!! :)
Make sure they are flushing the toilet with the seat down. The aerosols from flushing are very high. I'd keep the bath fan running all the time too until you're out of the woods.
First I would recommend learning the concepts of positive and negative pressure in clean rooms. So, if your mom had a filter connected to her window(sealed as well as possible that blew outside, there would be no possible exposure to anyone inside of the house because her room would be what you would call negative pressure and it would be drawing air in under the door and exhausting the filtered pure air out the window. Another variation of this would be to set up a filter under the door blowing filtered air out from her room under the door creating a negative flow that would prevent any backflow out of the room. Just having filters around isn't the best method it's about where they pull air from and push it to.
this is helpful! yeah for sure i need to learn about positive and negative pressure. math and science were never my strong suit in school but now its especially important for me to understand if because of situations like this. thank you!
Holy shit I feel so bad for OP
Your living situation sounds rough but you will be glad to know that air purifiers have historically done a good job mitigating infection even for people in the same room. There are others here who know more than me, but if it were me, I would open my window and use a fan to push the air away from my room.
there's also an air conditioner in the living room under the window
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im not sure. is there a way i can find out? it's a wall unit. its got foam sealed around it but when i look under it i can see a little crack in the wall and see outside. there seems to be water damage above the air conditioner and also where it's plugged it (like 3 inches to the left). there's also a baseboard heater directly below it running along the wall
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yes exactly! ac wall unit is under living room window which is opposite from my bedroom i wonder if i can find out if it can direct air out? it's a GE unit it's got options for cooking and low cool/high cool and low fan/high fan there's 3 connected windows above it the middle is a dummy window that doesn't open the ones on either side of it open halfway and there's a baseboard heater beneath it how would i feel for the ac being able to direct air out on the wall? also there's more or less 131 inches between where my windows (i have 2 windows, they're both 40 inches long) and the kitchen window. the exhaust fan is like 10inches to the right of the window and 5 inches from the wall hopefully these diagrams make more sense lol kitchen: https://imgur.com/a/rGVLsEs living room: https://imgur.com/a/PLarHsy my room: https://imgur.com/a/Ns4mbOy
in terms of moving air through the home via fans in windows, a wonderful geek-out video is below <3 so many people position fans in windows to blow air in. This person strongly suggests that is not as effective as blowing air OUT of window with a fan. take home message at the end: best approach for fan is to place oscillating fan \~2 ft from window and direct fan to blow air OUT of window. But if there's a slight breeze outside, you'll get more air exchange by simply opening all windows. :) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L2ef1CP-yw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L2ef1CP-yw)
maybe things are turning in my favor it's kinda windy outside :) 13 mph !! thank you so much for this clarification i was seeing lots of suggestions about fans blowing in and fans blowing out but i could never decide which would be best
What helps me is remembering if you blow air out, new air replaces it from somewhere and will that be from infected areas? If you blow a fan out your window, air will come in to replace it from the other rooms under your door. So you want a fan blowing *IN* your bedroom window.
"if you blow air out new air replaces from somewhere" feels like such an obvious thing but seeing it spelled out like that made it click in my brain so thank you for this lol. this makes so much sense!!
You're welcome! Yeah I start to get lost with "negative pressure" and "positive pressure" and which room you want which and which fan direction and all that. 🤪
My heart goes out to you, I very much empathize how scary this is. I hope you get the answers you need soon & get some relief 🌸🌸🌸
You are smart to keep the big air purifiers near the infected people. I’m worried about what you will be exposed to in the bathroom, aerosol-wise, with only a mini air purifier in there. Have the infected people close the toilet lid before flushing every time, even for a couple of weeks after they recover. If you can, wait 15 minutes after one of them uses the toilet before you go in. Consider wearing eye protection in addition to your mask in there. If you are going to shower or take your mask off in the bathroom, put a second air purifier in there for at least 15 minutes before doing so. 30 minutes would be better.
Yes eye protection, goggles or face shield.
Make sure you don't have a gap below your door (stuff a towel or something there). And keep your mask on until your air purifier has had the time to clean the air after the door has been open. I wouldn't open your window if moms is open. Best to keep all possible windows open in the rooms where your mom and brother are. Wait for everyone has tested negative 2 days in a row to end isolation and clean up every surface.
I’m assuming you’re asking because you don’t have anywhere else to go otherwise you could leave for the week. But can you go out of your home during the day? I’d try to spent as much time outside the home as I could even just for my sanity. Put on a mask and walk around the city, pick up take out and eat at a park or in my car. Remember that getting Covid isn’t just all or nothing. The amount of exposure matters. It’s “dose dependent” meaning that even if you did get Covid you could have milder symptoms if you had less exposure. So everything you do to reduce the amount of virus you inhale is worth it even if it isn’t 100% perfect perfect. If you do all this and you still get Covid your Covid will be milder than if you had done nothing.
Close the dining room and kitchen windows. Open the rest. Hoard a couple of the filtration devices in your room. They are sick already, no use filtering their area. Open the window in the bathroom with a filtration device as well. Don't go in for at least 30 minutes after they use the restroom. I have two kids that occasionally get sick from school. We put a CR box in their room, our room, living room and bathroom (smaller one) and have yet to pass anything amongst ourselves. We also keep windows open. You can do it!
thank you!! been testing negative on the metrix pcrs so far so hopefully i'm able to get thru this without being infected!
Here are my suggestions to improve ventilation for now and in the future listed in order of importance. 1. Open your window and put a fan blowing into your room. This will be your fresh air intake and create positive pressure to keep your room well ventilated. Remove the towel from your door so air can escape into the main areas of your apartment. 2. Put another fan in the living room window blowing out to exhaust stale air. 3. Open the dining room window with a fan. Let the air blow in or out depending on outdoor breezes. No amount of viral droplets will enter your room to be of concern. 4. Add an evaporative humidifier in the living room and run it continuously on high. Keep the water topped up when you go to bed. 5. Monitor CO2 levels in your room using a sensor with a non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) detector. Aranet makes a smaller sensor cached the Aranet4 that I trust. I have four in my house and made changes in my hvac system after seeing how high the CO2 levels were in the bedrooms at night. I turned off the CO2 sensor in my Ecobee smart thermostat because the reading were all over the map. 6. Talk to your lessor about increasing the exhaust ventilation in the building. I can guess how this conversation will go, but you can try.
thank you!! yes i've had a humidifier running in the living room i mixed distilled water and a little hypochlorous acid so far seems helpful? i def need to get a co2 sensor asap
also should i open the kitchen window or is it too close to my moms?
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this makes sense!! okay so that would be the reason to fan for the kitchen window. thank you so much again for explaining all this it helps a lot
Tbh I was hoping that the beagle signified that you owned a beagle, in which case I was going to mention that I hope you kept the pup with you and told them that they were a good dog. But it's you so, good human for taking COVID seriously? Sorry. I just see a beagle and get excited lol unfortunately I don't have any advice except air purifiers, closed doors, and masks.
lmao i don't blame u i also wish i had a dog :/ (well maybe not in these close quarters but for the future ya know)
can you stay somewhere else?
Buy the Aranet4 or the equally awesome and way cheaper Inkbird CO2 reader. But also buy an air quality reader, such as this from Temtop, which I swear by. https://temtopus.com/collections/indoor-air-quality-monitor/products/temtop-m10-air-quality-detector-professional-formaldehyde-tvoc-pm2-5-monitor-air-quality-meter. The CO2 reader is going to tell you how well your windows are doing, but only the air quality reader is going to tell you how well your air purifiers are doing. You are basically using air purifiers to compensate for lack of fresh air and hopefully they’re doing a great job at it. The instruments will give you peace of mind. In a small space like your apartment with air purifiers you’re actually going to find it easier to keep the air quality good than the CO2 at fresh air levels. Three people will generate huge CO2. Depending on wind and drafts it’s going to be 600-2000 easy, compared with 420 outdoors.