Infection prevention thanks to CONNY
Ventilation is infection prevention: All experts agree on that. It is not for nothing that the "L", which stands for "ventilate", is part of the official Corona recommendations issued by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), for example: AHA+L+A (Abstand halten, Hygienemaßnahmen, Alltagsmaske, Lüften, App nutzen). Translated: keep your distance, hygiene measures, everyday mask, ventilate, use app.
But why is ventilation so important? And how do I recognize, when it is time to open the window, letting fresh air and thus reducing the chance of infection?
The advantages at a glance
- Conny reduces the risk of infection through effective ventilation
- Conny conveys a sense of security
- Conny prevents freezing, due to unnecessary opened windows
- Conny saves heating costs and is climate friendly
- Conny counteracts headaches and loss of concentration
Aerosols can carry the Corona virus
To answer these questions we have to know how the virus is transmitted. One of the most common pathways is the "respiratory ingestion of virus-containing fluid particles produced by breathing, coughing, talking and sneezing", as the RKI writes. These liquid particles are called aerosols, are microscopic and can remain in the air for a very long time. Whenever many people are in an enclosed space, the risk of becoming infected with the SARS-CoV2 corona virus via aerosols increases. This is the case, for example, in schools, day-care centres, churches, retail outlets or restaurants. The only thing that helps against this is to leave the room - or to ventilate regularly and efficiently.
Conny reduces the risk of infection
"Conny, the breathing CO2 Ampel" helps to determine the aerosol concentration and thus reduce the risk of infection.You cannot measure aerosols directly due to their microscopic size. However, the CO2 concentration in the room is a scientifically recognised indicator of aerosol concentration. The more CO2 there is in a room, the higher the aerosol concentration - and thus the risk of infection.
Conny improves the sense of security
"Conny, the breathing CO2 Ampel" measures the CO2 concentration in the room constantly and precisely. At the same time,it interprets the measured values on the basis of the threshold values specified by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Good air with a CO2 content of less than 1,000 parts per million (ppm) is shown as green. If the measured value is increased and attention is required, the device lights up yellow. When it is time to ventilate or leave the room, this is signalled by a red light. The people in the room thus always know how high the current risk of infection is. This gives them a sense of security, which is immensely important.
Further advantages of effective ventilation.
Thanks to its permanent warning system,"Conny, the breathing CO2 Ampel" enables very effective ventilation because the windows are only opened when it is really necessary. This is a significant advantage compared to rigid ventilation rules.These neglect factors that have a direct impact on the CO2 concentration, such as the size of the room, the number of people or their activity. The 20-5-20 rule (20 minutes of teaching, 5 minutes of ventilation, 20 minutes of teaching), for example, which the Federal Environment Agency recommends for ventilation in classrooms, very often leads to pupils freezing and being unable to concentrate on their lessons due to the low temperatures. In addition, ventilation according to rigid specifications can cause high heating costs and is harmful to the climate.
No head aches, no concentration loss
Besides infection protection, continuous control of the CO2 concentration in the air has other advantages: For example, high carbon dioxide levels cause headaches and loss of concentration as a side effect of poor air quality. Conny, the breathing CO2 Ampel" also helps against this.