International. The German government is investing 500 million euros in improving ventilation systems in public buildings to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The grants will go towards improving air circulation in public offices, museums, theatres, universities and schools. Private companies are not yet eligible.
The main goal is to upgrade existing air conditioning systems, rather than installing new ones. Each upgrade is eligible for a maximum of €100,000. Funding is also available for CO2 sensors that indicate when the air in a room is unhealthily flawed.
The government also wants schools that lack central air conditioning systems to have at least mobile air purifiers. But much will also depend on how easily you can ventilate rooms by simply opening the windows.
Bavarian broadcaster BR24 reports that mobile fans, which filter tiny particles and cost from €2000 each, can effectively purify a room in a matter of minutes.
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There is widespread fear that the new wave of coronavirus will only intensify as the weather gets colder in Europe and more people share confined spaces. Windows will remain closed longer to prevent cold drafts.
Virus particles also survive longer when not exposed to direct heat and sunlight. Fresh air in slaughterhouses is estimated to have contributed to several Covid-19 outbreaks in Germany in recent months.
The tiny droplets that carry the virus can not only remain suspended in the air for more than eight minutes, they can also travel several meters.
The advice of the German government is to open the windows for at least five minutes every hour, for example, during class changes in schools.
The UK Health and Safety Executive also recommends that fans dissipate stale air pockets in rooms and use a supply of fresh air, rather than simply recirculating air through the air conditioning system.
