CO2 Monitoring: Why Haven't We Acted On This?

While we cannot avoid going into indoor spaces forever, what we CAN DO is create a conducive space and environment.

For quite some time, articles stating the benefits of monitoring CO₂ in the air have been circulating around. However, there is not enough heed on this topic, hence the needed action taken, to take advantage of this small and simple action, that can bring about a big and long run difference.

Now, why the neglect on a method that could help on Covid-19 matters?

Perhaps it is the lack of knowledge in air quality monitoring, and also the dependence on built-in ventilation systems to do the job. This would be acceptable IF we were in our days before the pandemic struck. But with the need for extra precautions to make indoor spaces and environments safe, and resume economic and social activities, we must take daily air quality and ventilation monitoring a serious matter, and, a top priority.

This small extra measure can be an affordable investment, which will see long term benefits. With monitoring devices ranging from RM740, some of the options available are such as the:

• Onset’s HOBO MX1102A CO₂ logger
• Onset’s HOBO UX120-006M Analog Data Logger
• Extech CO230: Indoor Air Quality, Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) Monitor
• Extech CO250: Portable Indoor Air Quality CO₂

Don’t only take our word on this. Here’s what experts have to say on the importance of CO₂ monitoring:

“The exhaled virus can accumulate and infect people even if they do not have direct contact with an infected person.” – by Vinod Balasubramaniam, Senior Lecturer at Monash University

“Viruses can be dispersed if there is proper airing. An ideal indoor space is a large room with open windows.” – by Kumitaa Theva Das, Virologist at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)

“If you have enough fresh air supply, you can dilute the pollutants present in the building to minimum levels.” – by Bernard Saw, Expert in thermal management from University Tunku Abdul Rahman

Source: Free Malaysia Today (online article) ‘CO₂ monitors can help check spread of Covid-19 indoors, say experts’.