Do you worry about getting the flu during the winter? So many people do and we don’t blame you! After all, who has the time to spend a week or so sitting around the house, doing nothing, while feeling miserable?
If you are concerned about getting or transmitting the flu this winter, you may want to consider raising the humidity levels in your home. Scientists have shown that doing so may reduce the viability of the flu virus.
Interested but not sure how to make your home more humid? Read on or contact us at Larry & Sons and ask about whole-home humidifiers today!
What the Science Says
Scientists have shown that raising your indoor air humidity levels to 43% can make it harder for the flu virus to survive outside a human body. At lower levels, between 70 and 77% of flu virus particles remained alive and capable of transmitting the virus. At 43%, though, only 14% of the particles could have passed the virus to another person.
Most of the time, flu virus particles can survive for hours after being coughed or sneezed into the air. At 43% humidity, however, most of them only lasted about 15 minutes.
While scientists aren’t sure exactly why this happens, they believe that some of it has to do with what happens when particles are released at higher humidity levels. They believe that the particles attach to or combine with moisture particles, become heavy, and drop to the ground. Since most of us don’t go grubbing around on the floor very often, they simply lie there until they die, rather than transmitting the virus to another person.
How to Raise Your Indoor Humidity
If you’re interested in staying healthy this winter, consider installing humidifiers to raise the humidity levels in your home. At Larry & Sons, we can come to your home, test your current humidity levels, and advise you on the best way to raise your humidity.
Most of the time, we can install whole-home humidifiers that will take care of humidity levels throughout your home all at once. We’ll make sure you get the very best humidifier for your needs.
Every recommendation is based on the size of your home, the type of heating you have, how much you need to raise your humidity, and more. We also recommend humidifiers from brands that we know and trust. After you’ve chosen your new humidifier, we’ll install it for you and make sure it’s working well before we leave.
If you want to keep your family safer from the flu this fall and winter, contact us today about getting a whole-home humidifier for your house. Before long, you’ll have the humidity you need to stay healthy all winter long!
Click here to learn more about humidifiers in Hagerstown with Larry & Sons!