Review of an intelligent indoor environment monitoring and management system for COVID-19 risk mitigation

Abstract

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has turned the world upside down bringing about a massive impact on society due to enforced measures such as the curtailment of personal travel and limitations on economic activities. The global pandemic resulted in numerous people spending their time at home, working, and learning from home hence exposing them to air contaminants of outdoor and indoor origins. COVID-19 is caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which spreads by airborne transmission. The viruses found indoors are linked to the building's ventilation system quality. The ventilation flow in an indoor environment controls the movement and advection of any aerosols, pollutants, and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) created by indoor sources/occupants; the quantity of CO2 can be measured by sensors. Indoor CO2 monitoring is a technique used to track a person's COVID-19 risk, but high or low CO2 levels do not necessarily mean that the COVID-19 virus is present in the air. CO2 monitors, in short, can help inform an individual whether they are breathing in clean air. In terms of COVID-19 risk mitigation strategies, intelligent indoor monitoring systems use various sensors that are available in the marketplace. This work presents a review of scientific articles that influence intelligent monitoring development and indoor environmental quality management system. The paper underlines that the non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) sensor and ESP8266 microcontroller support the development of low-cost indoor air monitoring at learning facilities.

Analysis of Indoor CO2 Concentration Using Split Ventilation Systems as an Indicator of COVID-19 Transmission

“…Instead, in terms of group size, there seemed to be a threshold above 10 participants that needed to be crossed to see an increase in CO2 concentration levels. Regarding the level of physical activity in the room, the result seemed contradictory: The higher intensity of physical activity exerted by the participants in G2 did not significantly affect the CO2 levels due to exhalation and resulted in a lower average CO2 concentration (Wiryasaputra et al, 2023;Rowe et al, 2022).…”

COVID-19 Incidence and Vaccine Effectiveness in University Staff, 1 March 2020–2 April 2022

“…Smart-working and remote lectures were maintained for vulnerable workers with an individual susceptibility to infections. Since air quality of indoor public places impacts the spread of COVID-19, all premises of the University of Trieste were subject to enhanced ventilation and low-cost sensors for intelligent monitoring of indoor CO 2 , were considered to mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and prevent common symptoms such as coughs, headaches, eye irritation, dizziness and fatigue [ 13 ].…”

“…A study on more than 100,000 workers during the first pandemic wave in Germany reported an increased risk of COVID-19 in essential occupations such as healthcare, logistics, transport, police, jurisdiction and public administration and in higher-occupational-status positions (e.g., managers and highly skilled workers) [ 13 ].…”

Monitoring the ventilation of living spaces to assess the risk of airborne transmission of infection using a novel Pocket CO2 Logger to track carbon dioxide concentrations in Tokyo

“…Fieldwork using CO 2 sensors as a countermeasure against airborne transmission has been conducted worldwide. Wiryasaputra et al [ 21 ] conducted a systematic review of studies that monitored indoor environments, particularly CO 2 , to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection. According to a systematic review of 19 articles in urban spaces, CO 2 is the primary reference for the spread of novel coronaviruses in buildings [ 22 ].…”