HUMIDIFICATION


Dry air is flu’s best friend


As summer leaves us and the autumn rains arrive we can look forward to ‘fl u season. Here, Condair summarises the role humidifi cation plays in keeping us healthy.


A


recently published scientific study by Yale University has shown that breathing air with a low humidity reduces our immune system’s capability to fight off flu infections. The research results showed that using humidifiers in the winter to increase the moisture content of air in occupied buildings, such as offices, schools and


22 October 2019


hospitals, is a potential strategy to reduce the seasonal impact of flu on society. It is estimated that in the UK influenza causes six million working days to be lost every year, accounts for 400,000 GP consultations, 600 deaths directly and an estimated 10,000 further deaths from flu-related causes. Even though many scientific studies, such


as the recent one from Yale, have shown the importance of humidity in relation to combatting flu, no legal requirement exists in the UK for public or commercial buildings to maintain a minimum indoor humidity level for health.


The Yale study, carried out in the laboratory of Dr Akiko Iwasaki, used mice that respond


www.acr-news.com


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