How to Protect Your Home During COVID-19
Novel coronavirus, otherwise known as COVID-19, has changed life as we know it for the foreseeable future. As we hunker down indoors, some of us may be wondering about how protected we are from COVID-19 and what other measures we should be taking to ensure our safety.
Oosterveld Heating is dedicated to providing incredible home comfort while still taking the right precautions to protect you, your loved ones, our staff, and our Guelph community.
Local Resources
It’s essential now more than ever to make sure you’re separating fact from fiction in regards to COVID-19.
For trustworthy information about the virus and the steps officials are taking to protect us, please refer to your local government and healthcare resources.
Some trusted sources include:
New updates from the federal and municipal governments every day, so please make sure you stay up to date as the situation evolves.
Is It Safe To Let Technicians & Repair People Into My Home?
As many of us lie low in our houses for the time being, some of us might experience some poorly-timed HVAC problems. While this can be frustrating, rest assured that we can help!
Oosterveld Heating is among the extensive list of essential services still available to help make sure you and your family are as comfortable as possible during this uncertain time. However, in light of the pandemic, we have taken it upon ourselves to implement new safety standards for our technicians whenever they visit your home.
On top of our usual practices like always wearing clean booties and attire, we will be making sure our employees wash their hands often and use hand sanitizer frequently. If any of our employees are experiencing any cold or flu-like symptoms, they will be asked not to come to work.
We’re also adhering to physical distancing practices whenever possible, meaning that even though we love to greet all of our clients at the door, we won’t be shaking your hand at this time.
Please let us know if you have a family member who is experiencing cold and flu-like symptoms when you book an appointment. This will allow our staff to prepare ahead of time so you can get the help you deserve.
Can Air Purifiers & Air Filters Prevent COVID-19
Unfortunately, scientists and other experts are still unsure about whether COVID-19 can be accurately described as airborne. However, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t steps you can take to potentially improve your air quality and help keep your home free from viruses. We can help install a variety of air filters and purifiers to your HVAC system to help eliminate other viruses and organisms that could harm your immune system and leave you vulnerable to diseases like COVID-19.
Air filters help to remove airborne particles, including dust mites, smoke, and even viruses. While there is no specific evidence available about how air filters can protect you from COVID-19, they can filter out particles around the same size. To help your air filter catch these particles, make sure it has a MERV efficiency rating of 8 or higher.
Air purifiers use UV light to help eradicate contaminants that could come from your HVAC system. While there is no information out on how it can help eliminate the existence of airborne COVID-19 particles, it does help rid your HVAC system of viruses before they are spread around your home. To install a UV light air purifier, please contact our team for quotes.
What About Hospital Filtration Systems?
Hospitals are generally large buildings, and usually require specifically designed HVAC systems to help keep the air clean. To do this, hospitals often use a combination of UV lamps, airflow management controls, and humidity controls while also relying on specially trained staff to operate this equipment.
How To Keep Your Home Clean & Safe
Hygiene
COVID-19 has an incredible ability to survive on surfaces for an extended period, meaning every doorknob, toy, remote, or product you pick up at the grocery store could harbour the virus.
The best way to protect yourself is to make sure you wash your hands as often as possible, especially when you’re anywhere else but your home. The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends washing your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer whenever soap isn’t available.
Some other hygiene tips include sneezing or coughing into your elbow and stopping yourself from touching your face.
Disinfect Your Home
According to The Canadian Government, coronaviruses are one the easiest viruses to kill using appropriate disinfectant wipes. As mentioned already, COVID-19 can survive on surfaces for a long time, so it’s essential to make sure you’re disinfecting the following surfaces as much as possible:
- Toilets
- Phones
- Toys
- Electronics (remotes, tablets, etc.)
- Doorknobs
For a list of effective disinfectant cleaning products, check out The Canadian Government’s official list here.
Practice Physical Distancing & Stay Home Whenever Possible
On top of washing your hands and disinfecting high-touch items in your home, the next step to help keep you safe is to make sure you’re practicing physical distancing.
Physical distancing requires people to stand at least 2 metres apart from each other whenever possible, whether this is at a grocery store or walking by someone on the street. While there is no evidence that COVID-19 can transfer from person to person through airborne particles, you are still at risk if some coughs, sneezes, or breathes on you.
Finally, the most effective way to help ensure your safety is to make sure you’re staying home whenever possible and only leaving to grab the essentials. This is especially important for those who are sick, even if they don’t have COVID-19. Spreading other viruses can weaken the immune system of the community, putting others at risk.
