Florida leaders learn about improved indoor air during Covid

MIAMI, Feb. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- An alliance built on a foundation of medical and engineering expertise announced today that it is revamping schools, healthcare facilities, government facilities and other buildings by the hundreds toward offering safer breathing environments so these indoor spaces can reopen even as the COVID-19 pandemic persists and shows no sign of fading away.

KFI Engineers is teaming up with LifeWings Peak Performance and implementing the "2021 Improved Air Initiative" in their mission to make indoor air healthier to breathe to help millions of Americans move closer to normalcy during the pandemic.

The South Florida Hospital & Healthcare Association (https://www.sfhha.com) is hosting a virtual education session on Zoom on Feb. 16, when Floridians are invited to learn from the foremost experts what can and should be done to indoor environments in order to improve air quality and reduce hazards associated with the transmission of the coronavirus.

This crisp-paced 35-minute session promises to be especially valuable for municipal-level government administrators, and decision makers in the areas of health care delivery, corrections, community center, and leaders in all levels of education from Pre-K to higher education.

For further details on the SFHHA session, including how to register, visit https://www.sfhha.com/events-page/?mc_cid=571dd07c52&mc_eid=70ef8dcdd9#!event/2021/2/16/achieving-8220-saferair-8221-during-covid-19sustain-160-iaq-160-ashrae-standards.

Dr. Scott Altman, a LifeWings consultant from the Chicago area and one of the session's speakers, said that "this deadly virus is something that we transmit by breathing and that's why wearing masks and staying 6 feet away from other people has been so strongly advised. " However, Altman added, there's been too much emphasis on the belief that merely touching any number of surfaces can also spread COVID-19.

"No one has proven that you can get it by contact," the doctor said, "but contact is easy to visualize, easy to act upon. We can scrub and wash and disinfect, and you feel good about it. Masking and physical distancing are very effective. The evidence is very clear. But that's harder to do than washing doorknobs."
 
Parents and their children are anxious about getting schools fully reopened. Businesses of all kinds, especially restaurants and bars, have closed for good or are on the verge of locking their doors because of well-intentioned government mandates.
 
Now that the evidence is overwhelming that indoor air is the most threatening environment for contracting COVID-19, the "2021 Improved Air Initiative" is helping property operators tap the hundreds of billions of dollars in federal coronavirus mitigation aid and assessing what needs to be done structurally for buildings to reopen and keep occupants protected.
 
Since the pandemic began, KFI Engineers have provided hundreds of building assessments to schools, colleges, hospitals, correctional facilities and other public facilities on ways to improve air quality levels for indoor spaces so in-person learning can resume sooner rather than later.
 
Specifically, KFI handles interior improvements from start to finish: testing the air, assessing and making the needed upgrades, followed by air quality monitoring that identifies any needed adjustments.
"Each building is different, and each one needs to be treated differently," said KFI Engineers Principal Randy Christenson. "Part of the process is providing recommendations and implementing what needs to be completed to improve air quality."
 
The tools available include increasing the filtration efficiency and reviewing outside air ventilation. KFI also turns to using new technology such as ionization, UV lighting, and humidity adjustments to improve indoor air.

"This pandemic isn't going away," Christenson said. "There is a potential to be reinfected, new virus strains and whatever the next virus is out there. People think there's going to be an end to the need to improve indoor air quality with the vaccine, but it's not."
 
Attention producers, editors and reporters – All the 2021 Improved Air experts showcased in this press release are available to be booked for interviews. To make coordinating schedules and calendars easy and hassle-free – contact Safer-Air publicist Robb Leer 612.701.0608
 
About KFI Engineers:
KFI Engineers, of Roseville, Minn., is an industry leader in process and facility infrastructure design and performance. We serve clients throughout the United States, Canada and Central America, with capabilities not commonly found in traditional engineering firms. Managing projects end to end gives us a deep understanding of both the engineering and the business side of our work. From identifying obstacles early to designing systems that make sense for your business, we drive projects to a successful completion for you. We created Minnesota's first LEED-certified workplace and continue to refine upon that accomplishment. Our clients enjoy fresh ideas that work and are based on real-life experience. We have operations in Minnesota, Ohio , Wisconsin, Iowa, Arizona and North Dakota, with a team of more than 150 professionals. For more information, visit: https://www.kfi-eng.com/.
 
 About LifeWings Peak Performance:
LifeWings Peak Performance LLC, based in Minneapolis with additional offices in Miami, is comprised of an unparalleled team of physicians, nurses, pilots, engineers and healthcare executives. It relies on methodologies used in commercial and military aviation, nuclear submarines and cutting-edge manufacturing to assist healthcare organizations in creating safe, efficient and high-performing hospitals and clinics. Our team has more than 400 years of combined experience designing and implementing high-reliability communication, operations and payer systems for hospitals, clinics, and insurance carriers. For more information, visit https://www.LifeWingsPP.com/.

Media Contact

Robb Leer, Leer Communication & Consultants, 6127010608, [email protected]

SOURCE KFI Engineers