New marketing campaign to ‘Cease COVID-19 hanging round’

• Explainer movie demonstrates affect of air flow on lowering COVID-19 ranges
• Clear recommendation to open home windows for 10 minutes every hour when socialising indoors
• New analysis reveals how solely a 3rd of the general public perceive significance of air flow

A brand new marketing campaign launches in the present day (Friday 5 November) throughout digital channels, radio stations and newspapers, demonstrating the significance of straightforward air flow strategies to cut back the dangers of catching COVID-19 this winter.

An explainer movie – for use on NHS and authorities digital channels – has been launched by scientists from the colleges of Cambridge and Leeds, in collaboration with the federal government, demonstrating the constructive affect of lowering COVID-19 ranges indoors by opening a window for simply 10 minutes each hour when socialising with others.

A part of a wider marketing campaign, together with nationwide radio and press adverts, the important thing message can be to ‘Cease COVID-19 hanging round’. The movie clearly exhibits the distinction in airflow and airborne particle motion when indoors in relation to COVID-19.

Voiced by Dr Helen Lawal, the movie demonstrates how, in a house setting, somebody contaminated with the virus speaking and interacting with one other particular person produces a build-up of COVID-19 particles within the air. These particles then linger in an unventilated room, like smoke, which means the chance of catching COVID-19 is considerably elevated. Nonetheless, COVID-19 particles disperse shortly when good air flow is launched, even for a brief interval.

Whereas the life-saving vaccines stay the most effective defence towards COVID-19 – giving over 90% safety towards hospitalisation from the virus – individuals can nonetheless catch COVID-19 even when they’ve been double vaccinated. With round 1 in 3 individuals with COVID-19 displaying no signs, it could possibly be handed onto others with out figuring out. With fewer restrictions in place this winter, following the success of the vaccination programme, the act of refreshing air within the house when individuals have guests is much more essential for everybody to maintain infections down.

Dr Thomas Waite, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, mentioned:

Small however essential actions might help defend us towards COVID-19. Getting vaccinations, carrying a face masking in enclosed areas and taking common COVID-19 checks all make an essential distinction however it is usually essential that we don’t overlook the worth of air flow.

Individuals with COVID-19 launch virus particles into the air at any time when they converse, breathe or cough and these can linger in unventilated settings. With winter quick approaching and folks spending extra time indoors, it’s very important everybody understands the significance of utilizing air flow, similar to recurrently opening home windows – even when only for a couple of minutes – to maintain the air shifting and forestall infections.

The marketing campaign comes as new analysis reveals virtually two-thirds (64%) of the general public didn’t know that air flow was an efficient solution to scale back the unfold of COVID-19 at house. And solely round a 3rd of individuals (29%) are at present ventilating their house after they have guests over. Solely 3% of these surveyed continued to ventilate their properties for a interval after their visitors left.

Professor Catherine Noakes, Professor of Environmental Engineering from Leeds College, mentioned:

As winter approaches, individuals will naturally spend extra time indoors, welcoming family and friends into their house because the climate will get colder. Whereas we’ve all been wanting ahead to this for therefore lengthy, it’s essential to do not forget that coronavirus remains to be round us and might simply unfold within the house.

If somebody is contaminated – and so they could be displaying no signs – COVID-19 particles are launched into the air by coughing, speaking or just respiration. In an enclosed area, the infectious particles can construct up over time. They continue to be suspended within the air, growing the chance of different individuals within the room respiration within the infectious particles, particularly if there is no such thing as a air flow or contemporary air serving to to refresh the air being breathed.

With this in thoughts, as we meet extra individuals inside, it’s so essential to make use of air flow, similar to opening a window, even for simply a short while, so contemporary air can disperse and blow COVID-19 particles away and reduce the chance of others being contaminated.

Within the run as much as Christmas, as individuals spend extra time socialising collectively indoors in the course of the winter months, the potential for inhaling infectious COVID-19 particles will improve. The analysis confirmed that greater than half (52%) of individuals will welcome an extra 3 individuals per week into their properties who don’t reside with them, and virtually a 3rd (30%) of households acknowledged they are going to be entertaining extra individuals of their properties than regular within the run as much as Christmas.

In addition to opening home windows for a couple of minutes each hour to dilute virus particles, different easy actions the general public can take to cut back the unfold of COVID-19 embody carrying a face masking over the mouth and nostril in busy indoor areas, similar to public transport or retailers. As well as, the federal government advises everybody to proceed taking free speedy lateral stream checks recurrently, notably earlier than mixing in crowded indoor areas or visiting weak individuals. Testing is the quickest and best solution to discover out if somebody has the virus, even when they present no signs.

Professor Stuart Dalziel from the College of Cambridge, who was a part of the workforce that helped create the experiment, mentioned:

This experiment clearly exhibits the affect that air flow can have on dispersing built-up COVID-19 particles within the house or indoor surroundings. With smoke representing COVID-19 particles moved round with the air, you possibly can see that these particles cling round within the air after we are indoors in a room with out air flow.

Nonetheless, these particles disperse rather more shortly and depart the room after we let contemporary air into the room, so the possibility of others respiration them in is enormously decreased. We hope that this experiment helps individuals perceive the affect that opening a window, even a bit, can have on lowering the chance of inhaling COVID-19 particles, if current, when round others indoors.

Dr Helen Lawal, the GP and TV physician who voices the movie, mentioned:

As we head into the colder months, we are going to after all be wanting to satisfy up with family and friends extra inside our properties, particularly within the run-up to Christmas. As instances of COVID-19 improve, nevertheless, it’s extremely essential to recollect the easy actions we will take to cut back the chance of catching COVID-19. Ensure you open your home windows for a couple of minutes at a time to dilute virus particles that might construct up when you have visitors which might be carrying COVID-19.

Additionally please keep in mind these further actions that may maintain us, and people round us, protected: put on a face masking; proceed to take common speedy lateral stream checks to assist in giving you peace of thoughts that you just’re not spreading the virus; get a PCR take a look at when you have any signs, and get your COVID-19 vaccination booster in the event you’re eligible.

Details about coronavirus on GOV.UK

Background

Opinium on-line survey carried out throughout a consultant pattern of three,000 individuals aged over 18 years in England, 15 to twenty October 2021.