Wildfire smoke irritating you? Here are tips for masks, filters and ‘clean rooms’
The Washington state Department of Health put out recommendations about how to stay safe from wildfire smoke during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Early evidence indicates wildfire smoke exposures can make people more susceptible to respiratory infections, likely including COVID-19,” the recommendations say. “Studies indicate that poor air quality can make symptoms and outcomes in people with COVID-19 more severe,” the document said.
The agency recommended that people “seek medical attention when experiencing severe symptoms, such as chest pain or difficulty breathing, during wildfire smoke events.”
“If you have a fever, cough, or shortness of breath, it is best to treat it like it could be COVID-19. Protect others by staying home.”
Staying inside and keeping the air there clean is best, the recommendations say.
Using a mask
“If there is a need to use a face mask for limited duration outside by the general public, an N95 or other NIOSH respirator rated for fine particulates is usually recommended with several necessary steps to ensure it is worn correctly to achieve a proper fit and seal.”
They’re not recommended for children, and they don’t work as well when someone has facial hair.
“While N95 and other NIOSH approved respirators are in short supply due to COVID-19, they need to be reserved for those required to wear them for work,” the recommendations said. “Cloth face coverings generally do not provide much protection from breathing in wildfire smoke. However, it is important to continue to wear cloth face coverings to slow the spread of SARS-Cov-2 and reduce the risk of COVID-19.”
Staying indoors and closing windows and doors when air quality is bad can help keep smoke out, and closing curtains and blinds during the day can help control heat.
AC, fan, HEPA guidelines
Air conditioners should be set to recirculate, and fans that vent outdoors (such as a bathroom fan) should be turned off.
Avoid smoking, using candles, incense, and broiling and frying food. Vacuums that don’t have HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters should not be used.
Increasing your HVAC system’s ventilation, using a portable air cleaner that has a HEPA filter, and homemade box fan filters can help — as can changing dirty filters in those systems.
“Increase the filtration in your home HVAC system to a MERV rating 13 filter with the deepest pleat your system can accommodate to reduce fine particles,” the recommendations said. “Close the air intake to keep wildfire smoke out. Consult your HVAC manual or consult with an HVAC professional before making improvements.”
As for portable air cleaners: “Do not use ozone generators, personal air purifiers, or electrostatic precipitators and ionizers that produce ozone, which is a respiratory irritant,” the recommendations said. “Check that it has been certified to avoid ozone exposures through the California Certified Air Cleaning Devices portal. Place it in a room where you spend time, with the windows and doors closed.”
How-to: DIY air cleaner
To build your own: “Select a standard box fan and a filter with a MERV 13 rating of the same dimensions,” the recommendations said. “There are different designs to consider, such as the filter is attached by bungee cord, the filter is screwed on brackets, and two filters are attached to create a triangle shape. Place the constructed DIY box fan filter in a room, ideally a small room where you spend time, with the windows and doors closed.”
These DIY projects should be kept away from the wall so that the front and back aren’t blocked, they should not be left unattended, and they should be watched for overheating.
“COVID-19 introduces new challenges this wildfire smoke season for how we should reduce exposure to wildfire smoke,” the document said. “It is especially important to encourage staying home and keeping indoor air clean by improving indoor air filtration.”
The Environmental Protection Agency has recommendations about creating a “clean room” to avoid wildfire smoke.
“Everyone can benefit from spending time in a clean room during a wildfire, but it may be most helpful for sensitive individuals like the very young, very old, and people with heart or lung problems,” the agency’s website says.
Closing the doors and windows, running a portable air filter, and wiping surfaces with a damp cloth as particles settle are some of the EPA’s suggestions.
More resources
- Stay informed about wildfire smoke on the Washington Smoke Information blog or your regional clean air agency’s website.
- For more information to protect your health, visit DOH’s Smoke from Fires web page.
This story was originally published September 8, 2020 at 6:19 PM with the headline "Wildfire smoke irritating you? Here are tips for masks, filters and ‘clean rooms’."
