Maintain healthy air quality in the home

The quality of air in one’s home is extremely important during this pandemic. Check heating and cooling filter systems and remain aware of the house’s air quality.

As we endeavor to care for ourselves and our loved ones, we need to make sure we take care of our homes. Taking care and making sure that our homes are safe and clean takes on many forms. I think we have down the fact we need to clean surfaces in our homes. I am sure the stock prices of companies that make and sell disinfectant agents has skyrocketed in this era. We clean our counter tops and our door knobs several times a day. We clean the surfaces of our floors and the packages we bring in the house to make sure no viruses are getting into our homes. We are careful about the groceries and the take-out meals we bring into our homes.

Are we making sure that our shoes are not bringing in unwanted guests? Are we making sure that we are possibly even changing our shoes as we enter our homes? That is a thought to ponder.
One of the areas that is being neglected is the quality of the air we are breathing. Many studies have shown how the ventilation systems in restaurants have contributed to the spread of COVID-19. Many resources are now being poured into the ventilation systems of public facilities to make sure that they are not contributing to the spread of the virus.

What about the air that is present in our homes? We know that this virus is spread via the air. That is why the use of masks is so important. Therefore, it is so important that we take notice of the air within our homes. Certainly, this makes the air you and your family share doubly important. Your home is where, especially now, much of your time is spent.

It is not suggested that those in your home use masks but we might want to take a little time to consider making sure the filters in our cooling systems have been changed. Many people that have allergies invest in personal systems to clean the air in the bedroom or family room or wherever they feel it is needed. Make sure these systems have been cleaned thoroughly. Make this a regular part of cleaning your home. The quality and the cleanliness of the air you breath inside your home is of up most importance.

As the pandemic continues, we are seeing people getting neglectful about protecting their personal space. People are taking vacations and are seeing people that they miss. Be careful when you join with people from different households. Remember you bring in the viruses and the germs from each individual home. That may or may not be a good idea. Be especially careful with the elderly and with those who have compromised immune systems. Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, kidney disease, alcoholism, liver disease, hypertension, pregnancy and being Black or Brown all put one at increased risk for COVID-19.

Humans are indeed social beings. We all have the need to be with others, and the need of human touch. These are needs that we are now trying to take care of with social distancing. It certainly is not as satisfying but a necessary evil in our present situation. Please do not get neglectful. The race has not been won and in fact has not been even run in many cases. Stay vigilant of your health. Do not allow those who do not wear a mask to be in your space. Stay home. Limit your exposure to those not in your immediate family or cohort. Take the words “Be Safe” to heart.

Dr. Veita Bland is a board-certified Greensboro physician and hypertension specialist. Dr. Bland’s radio show, “It’s a Matter of Your Health,” can be heard live on Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. on N.C. A&T State University’s WNAA, 90.1 FM. Listeners may call in and ask questions. The show is replayed on Sirius 142 at 5 p.m. on Wed. Email Dr. Bland at ideas@blandclinicpa.com.