Fighting coronavirus: how sanitising your air conditioning system can offer you protection

The global coronavirus pandemic has us in a cleaning frenzy, attacking every surface to remove any trace of dirt or grime. But what about the germs we can’t see? Like the potential viruses lurking in the air conditioning duct work of the very systems designed to deliver us comfort.

We know air conditioners can be a haven for bacteria and fungi. These precarious microorganisms can accumulate and thrive in air ducts, and then be transmitted through a poorly maintained system. That is precisely why having your commercial air conditioning maintenance system cleaned and regularly maintained is imperative.

So what difference does sanitisation make?

Plenty! After all, there’s a very good reason why hand soap and sanitiser have been among the top selling products since the outbreak of COVID-19 – because good hand hygiene can help stop the spread of infection.

And there are few places where the need to minimise the spread of infection is greater than in our hospitals where already sick patients are at their most vulnerable. Even without the threat of COVID-19, infection control measures are crucial.

Ausmech Air – proud to be the exclusive NSW distributor of Illion Plus 1 Hospital Grade Infection Control

This product is to air conditioning service systems what soap and sanitiser is to our human hands. Made 100 per cent of organic ingredients, Illion’s antimicrobial agents have proven to reduce bacteria in enclosed environments, with fast results.

Recent trials at Sydney’s Westmead Hospital – regarded as ground zero for the treatment of COVID-19 in Australia – showed promising results: Illion reduced the amount of coronavirus by 14.5 per cent after just 15 minutes.

How does it work?

Put simply, the product is positioned in the air conditioning system’s return air vent where the natural air movement distributes the product through the duct, sanitising the duct and killing nasties like bacteria and mould and reducing the spread of coronaviruses.

Illion, which has been on the CSIRO’s radar for some time now, is currently being used in six hospitals Australia-wide, protecting patients from hospital acquired infections (HAI). These are the infections people unfortunately get while they are receiving health care for another condition – infections that are commonly caused by bacteria, fungi and viruses. According to the Australian Government, 180,000 patients suffer these associated infections every year. They can cause death and the cost is significant (think billions of dollars). But they are preventable.
One measure to dilute pollutants in the air is to modify the air flow pathways. Ausmech Air’s tried and tested formula has been sanitisation via the duct work. Prior to the recent use of Illion at Westmead Hospital, the ducts were swab tested to reveal a gamut of microorganisms and re-tested weekly for four weeks with the infection control system in place. While the results cannot be publicly revealed, it can be said the bacteria was no longer present.

The possibilities are exciting

Imagine being able to avoid an outbreak of highly infectious gastroenteritis in an aged care facility. Or offering protection to immunocompromised patients in a cancer ward.
The cost of cleaning and sanitising a Commercial Air conditioning services system to mitigate the risk of infection spreading must be weighed against the costly impact of an outbreak of a contagious virus that can have fatal consequences.

Ausmech is grateful for the opportunity to make a difference in this current climate when infection control has never been so important. Running a clean air conditioning system is critical to maintaining good air quality and to avoid a myriad of health hazards.