The many unknowns of COVID-19, including the degree to which different transmission routes are used by the virus, have made us focus on the day-to-day protective steps we can control. One of these is managing IAQ with a focus on our safety. To address IAQ, and SARS-CoV-2 specifically, ASHRAE formed an Epidemic Task Force in the winter of 2020, when the magnitude of COVID-19 infections became clear. This committee has moved quickly to establish design and reoccupation guidelines for IAQ management for almost every building type. When the heating season arrives, our safety indoors will become an even bigger concern.
Once we have an effective vaccine, will we forget about the importance of IAQ in protecting us from infectious respiratory viruses? While strict protocols about social distancing and wearing masks will eventually diminish with declining COVID-19 numbers, there are other illnesses that are clearly related to the indoor environment. The understanding that indoor air should be managed to reduce diseases and, furthermore, actually improve our health, is an attitude I hope is here to stay.