As Whatcom COVID cases increase, learn to ventilate your home in winter to stop the spread

Whatcom County has seen a slight increase in COVID-19 case numbers. There were 18 new cases that reported on Nov. 1, which increased to 39 new cases on Nov. 22, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As the CDC frequently updates COVID-19 data by country, state and county, the agency also warned that their data may not be totally accurate:

"Due to a security breach encountered by one of Washington's hospital organizations, data about cases, hospitalizations, deaths, and testing are incomplete in some counties from October 2, 2022. This could affect up to 100 COVID cases per day as well as associated hospitalizations and deaths. The issue is likely to last for the next several weeks. We will update this data note as additional information becomes available," the Washington state Department of Health website states.

For those in Whatcom County, improving the ventilation in the home can keep COVID-19 from spreading and reduce COVID-19 particles in your home, according to the CDC.

How to improve ventilation in your home

The CDC offers a few tips to improve ventilation and reduce COVID-19 in your home during the cold winter seasons:

Instead of opening windows and doors in cold weather, turn on bathroom and stove exhaust fans. Keep fans on when you have visitors in your home, and keep them on for at least an hour after your visitors leave.

Install a pleated air filter and replace your HVAC system's filter every three months or as instructed by the filter manufacturer.

If your home's HVAC system has a fan that can be controlled by your thermostat, turn the fan on instead of on automatic mode when you have visitors in your home so the fan runs continuously.

Use a portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) cleaner in your home to efficiently filter air and trap particles that people exhale.

Turn on ceiling fans in your home. Other types of fans can also help improve airflow in the home, but do not point fans toward people, as it can push contaminated air directly towards them.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also offers a few tips to improve ventilation in your home:

Check to see if your HVAC system has an outside air intake, energy-efficient air-to-air heat exchanger, heat recovery ventilator or an energy-recovery ventilator, as using these can increase ventilation. Some of these parts can be added to an existing HVAC system, depending on your home.

Place a portable air cleaner in the room of your home where you spend most of your time in, or where vulnerable people in your home spend the most time in. Brands such as Honeywell and Dyson make air cleaners.

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