There is increasing evidence that carbon dioxide levels in buildings correlate strongly with the airborne spread of infection. Consequently, CO2 monitors could act as the “canary in the coalmine” to mitigate the coronavirus threat. Carbon dioxide is generated by the exhaled air of people who stay indoors. Each person in a building will exhale approximately eight litres of air per minute: air that has been in close contact with the lung tissue (1). Alongside CO2 at a concentration around 40,000 parts per million (ppm), the exhalation also contains tiny liquid droplets (aerosols) which, due to their size, can float in the air for a long time. These droplets will contain any virus particles present in the lungs. Research shows a method to mitigate infection can be implemented with CO2 monitors on site.

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