News item | 18-10-2022 | 14:00
Over the next three years, the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) will fund research into ventilation and virus spread. It is a broad knowledge program that contributes to more knowledge about the effect of ventilation in certain circumstances and in certain environments, such as nursing homes and sports facilities.
This research contributes to better management of ventilation in order to reduce the risks of spreading virus particles. The research can thus help sectors to be better prepared for a future pandemic. TNO is coordinating the research, which has just started, and is conducting it together with universities and knowledge institutes such as Utrecht University (UU) and Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e).
Good ventilation can reduce the number of virus particles in a room. This can help prevent the spread of a virus such as the coronavirus. At the same time, much is still unclear about how ventilation works in different situations and circumstances. Therefore, more research is needed. In the TNO study the researchers look at questions such as: what is the chance of becoming infected through the air, what is the effectiveness of ventilation and air purification systems, and what are the social benefits and costs of ventilation or air purification.
Pandemic Preparedness
In order to be well prepared for a new pandemic, it is important to know more about ventilation, for example in long-term care institutions or in sports facilities. This is important for the health and safety of employees as well as that of (vulnerable) residents and visitors. Good ventilation reduces the chance of virus spreading and thus also the disease burden and social damage. Studies such as the TNO ventilation study contribute to a better knowledge base for enhanced pandemic preparedness.