The pandemic has highlighted the importance of high hygienic standards and good air quality. And Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) solutions represent a vital component to generate revenue for restaurants by filling up dining tables with customers who feel safe and confident. The fact is that customers who are uncomfortable and/or allergic to cleaning supplies, paints, insecticides, and other materials used in restaurants will not stay as long or spend as much money.

So, how can restaurants address these air quality issues and get more customers through their doors each night? Let’s delve a little deeper.

What Makes Customers Happy?

One design solution that has really helped during the pandemic—encompassing the entire range from quick service to fine dining—is open-kitchen restaurants that have “nothing to hide.” They have been selected by a growing number of diners who are conscious of cleanliness, safety, and health. 

The fact is that In the future guests will take a much more proactive approach in choosing where they will go based on the IAQ. Restaurants can experiment through a broad range of air ventilation and filtration techniques, enabling the restaurant industry to usher in a better relationship with indoor air, with people able to judge where they dine based on the quality and transparency of real-time readings.

Measures and Use Cases

One clearcut example of catering to customers’ demands comes from Sierra Mar restaurant in California. They now have IAQ features sprinkled throughout their restaurant. These include 18 tabletop mini-purifiers, ten HEPA air purifiers, an upgraded heating and air conditioning system, and four sensors measuring the air quality in real-time.

The Post Ranch Inn, a high-end resort in California, has installed indoor air quality monitors throughout their dining room to track conditions in real-time and display relevant information for the customers. This provides peace of mind and allows them to proactively manage and optimize air quality as needed to help reduce risk and ensure the healthiest possible air environment. Crucially, they also display the restaurant’s air quality updates on its website, so diners can see for themselves that the air quality is good before deciding whether to order take out or commit to an in-person visit. This is especially important for potential clients prone to allergies, given that the region has been clouded by recurrent wildfires in 2020 and 2021.

Other useful restaurant-related IoT technologies include advanced automated temperature sensors, which are directly placed, wire-free, into refrigeration units to ensure accurate temperature readings. The temperature probes are not just for monitoring, they’re installed to prevent food spoilage by alerting if the temperature rises above a safe level. This can save a restaurant thousands of dollars by ensuring produce is not wasted.

Is There ROI for These Measures?

You could be forgiven for reading these measures and thinking: “well, how do restaurants actually benefit financially from improved air quality?” Sierra Mar measured the payback on their investment as just three days, based solely on incremental food and beverage spending in the restaurant. Many guests, previously wary of COVID-19, were immediately persuaded to abandon takeaways and room service meals at the lodge, instead favoring luxury meals in the dining room with added appetizers and drinks they would not have ordered on takeout. 

Lastly, with these measures, service staff can feel safer. Restaurants can increase employee satisfaction during the most competitive environment on record for the restaurant industry. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that customers will feel even more motivated to dine out, provided that the air quality is high. Rather than install countless different filters and systems in a restaurant, owners should consider what is suitable for their building, and invest within their means.

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Samsung has expanded its AC lineup with the launch of its new DVM S2 Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) outdoor air conditioning unit. The VRF unit works along with the indoor AC units to provide cooling. According to the company, the WindFree technology “eliminates harsh cold drafts and disperses air through 23,000 micro holes at a speed of 0.15 m/s that helps in creating a still air environment.”
The new DVM S2 line-up will be available in multiple capacities ranging between 8HP and 34HP in heat pump and cooling only models.
The company says that the new AC is suitable for apartments, residential complexes, office spaces and commercial buildings.
DVM S2, Samsung’s sixth-generation Digital Variable Multi air conditioner, enables connection with up to 64 Samsung indoor air conditioning units for optimal comfort without unpleasant cold drafts and is compatible with Samsung’s 1Way, 360 Cassette, 4Way, 4Way 600×600, Duct and Wall-Mounted models.
The DVM S2 also comes with AI capabilities like automatic indoor climate detection for optimised cooling and heating. Low pressure control , High pressure control, AI Defrost control and more.
Apart from that, the AC also comes with advanced AI algorithms that can detect refrigerant leaks in real-time and send alerts immediately so users can monitor and manage their units quickly without compromising comfort.
DVM S2 uses 4 core technology of bigger heat exchanger, new high efficiency fan, upgraded power module and advanced scroll compressor to achieve high energy efficiency.
DVM S2 features innovative technologies including a more advanced scroll compressor with Advanced Flash Injection (AFI) technology, an enlarged heat exchanger with optimised refrigerant flow, a multi-serration fan, and an enhanced power module.

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WEDNESDAY, April 6, 2022 (HealthDay News) — In-home social cannabis bong smoking is associated with markedly increased levels of fine particulate matter in indoor air, according to a research letter published online March 30 in JAMA Network Open.

Patton Khuu Nguyen and S. Katharine Hammond, Ph.D., both from University of California at Berkeley, measured fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) levels from social bong smoking to quantify secondhand cannabis smoke (SHCS) levels from cannabis smoking in the home. Measurements were taken before, during, and after eight cannabis social-smoking sessions in a living room.

The researchers found that home cannabis bong smoking significantly increased PM₂.₅ from index levels (conditions existing before the smoking began) in all sessions by 100-fold to 1,000-fold for six of the eight sessions. Two sessions had high levels to start with, but PM₂.₅ significantly increased more than 20-fold (P < 0.001 for all sessions). Mean PM₂.₅ after 15 minutes of smoking (570 μg/m3) was more than twice the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hazardous air quality threshold (>250 μg/m3). During smoking, the concentration increased to a mean of 1,300 μg/m3. Half an hour after smoking ceased, mean concentration declined to 78 percent of peak and reached 31 percent after 110 minutes. Twelve hours after smoking stopped, PM₂.₅ remained elevated at 50 μg/m3, more than 10 times the background concentration. Compared with cigarette or tobacco hookah (waterpipe) smoking, cannabis bong smoking in the home generated four times greater PM₂.₅ concentrations.

“This study’s findings suggest SHCS in the home is not safe and that public perceptions of SHCS safety must be addressed,” the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text

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Optimize HVAC Systems With HVLS Fans | 2022-04-06 | ACHR News

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In recent weeks, we’ve heard a lot about fluctuating COVID-19 case rates in other cities and countries, and the spread of the BA.2 variant. We sat down for a Q&A with King County’s Health Officer, Dr. Jeff Duchin, to get a better sense of what we’re seeing in King County.

Q: What are we seeing in terms of COVID-19 case and hospitalization rates?

Dr. Duchin: Big picture – new case and hospitalization numbers in King County are significantly lower than the peak we saw in January of this year. At that time, we were seeing an average of 6,500 new cases daily. Currently, we’re seeing an average of just over 300 new cases reported each day. It’s a similar story for hospitalizations – in early January, we had an average of 60 new COVID-19 hospitalizations daily, compared to an average of three to four currently. These metrics mean that King County is classified as “low” according to CDC’s COVID community level framework.

However, in the last two weeks, the number of new COVID-19 cases in King County has been increasing. We’ve seen a 91% increase in the last two weeks, from an average of 186 new cases daily the week of March 21, to an average of 356 new cases daily this week. Hospitalization rates have stayed relatively steady, hovering around two to four new hospitalizations per day since mid-March, and deaths have been falling since early February.

Because we’re starting at a relatively low baseline number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths currently, small increases lead to percentage increases that appears large compared to the actual size of the increase (check out this webpage for more info on this effect).

Although the number of cases is rising, hospitalizations right now are lower than what we’ve seen during most of the pandemic.

Q: How should we interpret this recent increase in cases? Do you think we’ll see another COVID-19 surge?

Dr. Duchin: It’s too soon to make any definitive statements about the course of our recent increase in cases. With what we’re seeing now, it’s not possible to accurately predict the timing or severity of potential future surges. My best estimate is that we will see a rise in cases that could last for several weeks, but I don’t expect the extent of the rise or the number of associated hospitalizations and deaths to be as severe as our recent wintertime Omicron surge.

Right now, for people who are fully vaccinated and boosted, the risk in King County of acquiring COVID-19, particularly of developing a serious infection, is greatly reduced compared to the peak of our recent Omicron surge early this year. COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths have declined significantly from what we saw in January, and our vaccines and boosters provide a high level of protection against serious illness from COVID-19.

But, with increases in cases comes increased risk of infection in the community. We’re carefully watching and assessing the case and hospitalization trends to help inform public health guidance.

Q: What’s causing the recent increase in cases?

Dr. Duchin: There are lots of different factors that impact COVID-19 transmission, and these factors interact in complex ways. Factors influencing our recent increase in cases likely include the spread of the more contagious BA.2 variant locally, the relaxation of precautions (like loosening of mask mandates), and changes in behavior, such as more in-person group activities. The extent of a potential surge is also influenced by the level of protection we have against infection and serious illness from vaccination plus boosters, and recent infections.

Q: You mentioned the BA.2 variant. Are we seeing a rise in COVID-19 cases from BA.2 in King County?

Dr. Duchin: In recent weeks, we’ve seen an increase in COVID-19 cases caused by the BA.2 variant locally, in Washington state, and across the U.S. As of the week of March 20, 78% of King County COVID-19 cases sequenced by the University of Washington were the BA.2 Omicron variant.  

In other words – BA.2 is replacing other variants in King County, but we’re not seeing a large growth in cases overall at this time.

While BA.2 is highly contagious – it spreads more easily than the previous version of Omicron we just experienced – our current vaccines, particularly if someone is fully vaccinated and boosted, protect well against BA.2.  But it’s important to understand that the booster dose is needed for full protection against hospitalization and death.

Q: A lot of people have already had COVID-19. What do we know about natural immunity to BA.2 for people who’ve previously had COVID?

Dr. Duchin: The Omicron variant has three sub-lineages, BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3. BA.1 quickly became the dominant strain circulating globally and in the U.S. and was the cause of the massive surge seen in recent months. Now on the scene is BA.2, which can be thought of as a cousin of BA.1. That means people who were previously infected with the Omicron BA.1 variant may have some immunity to BA.2. This may help protect against a particularly large BA.2 surge in King County and the U.S., as so many people were recently infected with Omicron.

However, studies show that people who were infected with COVID-19 prior to the Omicron BA.1 surge likely don’t have much protection against the BA.2 variant. And even if you were previously infected, vaccination increases your level of protection.

The bottom line is that our current vaccine and boosters are effective against serious infections from BA.2 and other variants of COVID-19 – more so than immunity from a previous infection. Getting vaccinated and boosted is the best thing you can do to protect yourself and your family from serious illness from COVID-19.

Q: What are your recommendations for the public at this point?

Dr. Duchin: People should be aware of the increasing trend in cases and take precautions. When cases are increasing, all COVID-19 prevention measures become more useful.

One of the most important elements is making sure you’re not just fully vaccinated, but that you’ve also received your booster dose. We have excellent vaccination rates in King County (85% of residents ages 12 years and older are fully vaccinated), but we’re not seeing the same excellent rates in terms of getting a booster dose (55% of King County residents ages 12 years and older have received a booster dose).

In order to protect against serious infection, everyone ages 12 years and older should get a booster dose with an mRNA vaccine at least five months after the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna, or two months after one dose of J&J. Even if you’ve already been infected with COVID-19, the booster is key to keeping up your immunity. And, those who are age 50 years or older or who are immunocompromised are now able to get a second booster dose, based on CDC’s new guidance. People who had two doses of the J&J vaccine (a J&J primary dose followed by a J&J booster) should also get an mRNA vaccine booster at least four months after the J&J booster. More information about booster guidance is available from the CDC.

It’s important to understand how important good indoor air quality and ventilation is to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Now is a great time for everyone to work to improve the indoor air quality in their home or business. Check out our blog post on ventilation and guidance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for more info.

High-quality well-fitting face masks, of course, also remain an important way to decrease your risk of infection, especially when COVID-19 spread in the community is increasing. It’s appropriate for many people to continue to wear high-quality face masks (N95, KN95, KF94) in crowded indoor settings if they have weakened immune systems or are at increased risk for severe disease, are unvaccinated, or are in contact with someone at high risk. Some people may choose to wear a mask out of consideration for people who may be at high risk in public settings, or if they want to further reduce their own risk for any reason. 

And, if you do develop COVID-like symptoms, even if they’re mild, isolate yourself from others and get tested for COVID-19.

Originally published April 6, 2022.

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