The role of ventilation in the fight against COVID-19
The role of ventilation in the fight against COVID-19
AFRY is an experienced planner of ventilation in hospitals and other environments prone to virus and bacteria. When Finnish specialist physicians Enni Sanmark and Lotta Oksanen begun to research COVID-19 and its spread in indoor environments, AFRY’s buildings experts joined the research consortium to contribute with their own expertise.
COVID-19 pandemic has changed the meeting, transport and working habits thoroughly. To maintain economic development and avoid overloading the health care system, businesses and services like restaurants and dental care clinics must keep functioning even during a pandemic like COVID-19. The aim of the research project in question is to clarify how such services can be maintained in a safe manner.
Expertise in building services engineering and ventilation is extremely important in the process of planning and developing safe environments. A field in which AFRY has a global network of experts.
“We look forward to finding new and innovative solutions. Avoiding the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses in interior environments through ventilation would ensure safe public spaces for everyone. By improving the ventilation in restaurants, airports, airplanes and elevators, we could find new ways of safely conducting our daily lives in this situation,” says Ville Virnes, President of business unit Buildings, Finland.
AFRY develops and creates safer environments in close collaboration with other counterparts of the project.
“The bringing together of experts with various specialties is one of the top priorities in this project. It is important to utilise our collected knowledge within the company to halt the spread of the virus. We would also like to highlight the importance of shared knowledge and communication between various parties in the construction business, to benefit it collectively,” say Joona Lahti project manager at Buildings, Finland.
The research consortium in aerosol research is formed by Helsinki University Hospital, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Tarja Sironen, Leena Maunula and Peter Sarin from University of Helsinki. In addition to AFRY, the following companies have also joined the research project: Ultima, Kone, Mobidiag, KLV-Palvelut, R&B Design, Dekati, Environics, Uniqair, Halton, Jyväskylä Sinfonia and Savonlinna Opera Festival.