EFFECTS OF AEROSOL TRANSMISSION RISK WITH AN EXHAUST FAN IN A QUARANTINE HOME

Abstract

With the rise in default home recovery for COVID-19 in Singapore, the risk of airborne transmission in the house was explored. The presence of viral airborne particles in an enclosed space may lead to an infection of the disease depending on the occupancy duration and concentration of viral particles. To reduce the risk of viral transmission, this study was created to determine the optimal ventilation solution in decreasing leakage of viral airborne particles into other parts of the house. Various ventilation mechanisms were utilised in different combinations during natural ventilation and air-conditioning. To investigate the concentration of viral airborne particles travelling in the house, a tracer gas experiment to accommodate the various scenarios was designed. Ceiling fans and exhaust fans were utilised as ventilation mechanisms in the quarantine room during the simulated home recovery programme. The concentration of tracer gas detected inside and outside of the quarantine room led to a quantitative analysis and comparison of the various scenarios. An outdoor-to-indoor concentration ratio was also generated to directly compare the effectiveness of the ventilation methods between the scenarios in reducing the risk of viral transmission in the house.