Many of us are living in a new reality with COVID-19. School is canceled, many have been laid off, and many more are working from home. For the first time, people around the globe are spending most of their time at home.

We must look at a few side-effects of our new reality so we can prepare and take action now. We know that social distancing and home isolation will ultimately help everyone as we move through this health crisis.

However, we also know that spending more time at home will affect the well-being of our families as well. It will also impact the health of our home environment. We’re moving less, watching more TV, getting less social and outdoor time, and feeling a lot more stressed. But also, as we spend more time at home, we increase the chances of mold growth, which impacts our health as well.

Side-Effects of Social Distancing & Home Isolation

If you think about it, more time at home means there will be more people showering, cleaning, eating, and cooking. Before, many of us would be spending our days at work, school, or other activities outside of the home. Now, we’re all doing these things together under one roof.

Also, many of us are trying to prevent illness, so we’re cleaning more than usual, perhaps keeping windows and doors shut, and washing our hands more.

What does all of this add up to? Less air circulation, more moisture, and spaces void of helpful bacteria. All of these elements provide the perfect conditions for mold to grow.

Why Do These Elements Cause Mold To Grow?

Mold likes to eat cellulose-containing building materials such as paper, fiber, and drywall. All of these products are widely available in modern homes. However, mold needs moisture and free space to grow. So, once we begin adding more moisture to our homes and removing helpful bacteria, mold can grow unchecked. ¹

To avoid getting COVID-19, we’re using more water to wash our hands and clean our homes and thus adding more moisture. We may also be using more chemicals to clean and wash our hands with. These chemicals kill the bacteria that provide a balance for your home, and prevent the causes of musty odors.

Also, in many parts of North America and Europe, cold winter temperatures prompt us to keep doors and windows closed, preventing proper airflow ¹. And because most of us are staying put, there’s minimal movement in and out of our homes.

All of these conditions create a much higher risk of mold growth. And with increased mold, comes new health problems that we may not have thought about before.

How mold affects our health?

Most people know that mold is highly correlated with allergies and asthma. Household mold causes an increase in asthma and allergy symptoms, which also increases the risk of secondary infections, like COVID-19. So even though we’re trying to prevent illness, we may be inadvertently increasing our susceptibility to other contagious respiratory diseases ^1,2,3.

Also, now that we’re more sedentary and perhaps exposed to mold growth, we may be more susceptible to feeling depressed and out of control. One study showed that mold growth was associated with increased depression ⁴.

Also, the study showed that when people feel a lack of control over their health and home environment, depression increases. No doubt, people are already feeling anxious about COVID-19, so having mold in the home will surely not help matters much ⁴.

How To Prevent Mold & Enhance Our Well-Being While Staying Home.

The good news is that there’s a lot we can do to keep ourselves and our homes healthy during this COVID-19 crisis. Here are some essential tips to keep in mind while we maintain social distance and isolation in our homes:

Maintain airflow through the house.

Unless you live incredibly close to your neighbors, it would be good to open some windows and let fresh air come in. This not only benefits your home, but it will bring in some oxygen and help keep everyone’s spirits up. Also, it maintains a connection with the outdoors, which will bring in good bacteria from outside.

Be sure to turn on fans in the kitchen and bathroom if you have them. Also, portable fans placed at strategic points in the house will really help keep airflow through the house ^1,5.

Prevent humidity or water damage.

When you’re cleaning, be careful how much water you’re using. You likely don’t need to use large amounts to get the job done. And when you’re finished cleaning, make sure you dry all the surfaces with a cloth.

Be sure that the bathroom is thoroughly dried out after showers and hygiene practices. Leave the bathroom fan on or wipe the surfaces until they’re dry (and then properly dry the towel or squeegee!) ^1,5.

Check all areas of the home for potential water damage and make any necessary repairs.

Be conscious of your cleaning practices.

If you have someone who is ill with COVID-19 in your home, by all means, use disinfectant to keep everyone safe. However, if no one is ill and everyone is observing social distance and isolation, there’s no need to go overboard with bleach or other harsh chemicals.

Bleach and harsh cleaning products can kill the good bacteria that help keep mold at bay ^6,7. Instead, opt for natural cleaners like vinegar or essential oils. Also, you don’t need to clean multiple times per day if no one is ill.

Taking care of your health is also good for your home.

When possible, get outside if you can. Head into the backyard or if you don’t have one, go to an open area where you can still observe social distancing. Getting outside will not only help your health, but it will also give your home a chance to dry out. And when you return, you bring in beneficial outdoor microbes that help prevent mold growth.

Conclusion

Indeed, this is a new reality we’re living. Inevitably, it can take a toll on our health as well as the health of our home. Most notably, the side-effects of social distancing and home isolation may increase the possibility of mold growth in our homes.

Indeed, this is a new reality we're living. Inevitably, it can take a toll on our health as well as the health of our home. Most notably, the side-effects of social distancing and home isolation may increase the possibility of mold… Share on X

But if we stay conscious and proactive, we can not only improve our living conditions and prevent mold growth but maintain our well-being at the same time.

REFERENCES

1. https://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/43325/E92645.pdf
2. https://www.jacionline.org/article/s0091-6749(02)00092-1/fulltext
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4444319/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1994167/
5. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2015.1139
6. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-019-0593-4.epdf?referrer_access_token=dbirv_c_z112blDos3pXLNRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0NvGy2dylkGSz3KfaHrHWvz91WrdbO-hC1L5cRkm8uaNT_206dn91YHLRkkEthiaLvebtJej4odp6x8_o6PN9C4sBMg3aSzRXRoO2YCabzZXpWFXr0v027tEfwr0cTKZlPatZKGOACqFfaEnoF1P92hlljaBbcfjElLCR0Tzp6xVovmC84tkYdJawRACVDgwlT2BCyitwETaNo8a3b7DX_pnzgOL61ZX3_w1lLh07CGR3vnLkR14D6RSH0WRjo9A3WMhTeh8H34VG37MCopLsbAuS5lM85zEgO8dIVUIeQlbA%3D%3D&tracking_referrer=www.npr.org
7. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0064133

The coronavirus pandemic has many of us gripped with stress and worry over the health of our families. There’s a lot of uncertainty, and people are naturally concerned about how to protect themselves and their home environments. And now that many of us are confined to our homes, we’re wondering how to make them as safe and healthy as possible. So we have to ask: can mold exposure increase your coronavirus risk?

One thing to consider is mold growth and how it may affect us in our homes. With more people spending time at home, mold may become a problem as we are eating, cooking, showering, and cleaning more. And for those who are already prone to asthma and allergies, mold can be a more serious issue. Particularly when it comes to infections like coronavirus and its complications.

The Effects Of Mold On The Immune System

Most people know that anyone with a compromised immune system can become very ill when exposed to mold. This is because they don’t have the right amount of immune cells in their blood to fight off a systemic fungal infection ^1,2,3.

However, people with otherwise healthy immune systems can also be affected by the toxins that mold secretes. To be clear, mold on its own does not cause illness. Instead, it’s the mycotoxins that mold emits that can impair the immune system and cause illness. In other words, people who are sensitive to mold may also be slightly immunocompromised ³.

Research has shown that these mycotoxins can confuse and impair the white blood cells in our immune system, making them less able to protect the individual. Furthermore, confused white blood cells have a tendency to overreact, which accounts for many allergic reactions ^1,2.

Mold & Its Role In Asthma & Allergies

Unfortunately, asthma and allergies have increased exponentially over the past many decades ⁴. Also, mold growth has increased, particularly within modern homes ⁵.

Experts have shown clear connections between household mold and increased allergic illness and asthma attacks ^3,4,5. The mycotoxins in mold have been shown to both cause and exacerbate allergies and asthma.

The concerning part is that conditions like asthma and allergies reveal an already impaired immune system. This means that people with allergies and asthma are also more susceptible to secondary infections from bacteria and viruses ⁶.

Does Mold Make Us More Susceptible To Viruses?

It’s possible that mold exposure can make us more susceptible to pathogens like the coronavirus. This is especially problematic for people who have asthma and allergies related to mold sensitivity.

Since many of us will be home more, household exposure to mold can become a problem. And if a family member has increased asthma or allergies related to mold, they are likely to have their immune system compromised ^1,2,3,4. And of course, this makes them prone to develop other infections like the coronavirus.

Also, people with asthma and allergies tend to touch their faces more through sneezing and wiping their nose or eyes. They’re also likely to cough more, which means they can also be exposing other family members to illness as well ⁶.

This means that while we’re at home in isolation, we need to be more thoughtful about household mold and what it may be doing to the health of our family members.

What Can We Do To Control Mold Growth?

What can we do to prevent mold at home to keep us better protected against illnesses like coronavirus?

The following are some practical steps you can take now:

Decrease moisture build-up in your home.

Mold growth depends on moisture, so be sure to turn on fans, open windows, and fix any water leaks in your home. Decreasing moisture build-up through air ventilation and reducing water issues will go a long way to keeping your home mold-free ^3,7.

Be careful with your cleaning practices.

Cleaning requires water, but be sure not to dump large amounts of water while you clean the kitchen, bathroom, and other household surfaces. When you’re finished cleaning, make sure all surfaces have been wiped dry ^3,7,8.

Also, be careful not to use large amounts of bleach or other bactericidal cleaning agents. While we may need to disinfect certain areas during the current coronavirus pandemic, we need to be careful not to overdo it. This is especially important if no one in the home is currently sick. Too much of these harsh chemicals can clear out helpful bacteria while providing free real estate for mold to grow ^3,7,8.

Take preventative measures.

Besides moisture, mold loves to eat cellulose-containing products such as paper, drywall, and wood fiber. Make sure you clean up any clutter that may contain these products around water faucets or potentially damp areas of your home ³.

When in doubt, do a mold test to find out if your home contains mold. If you know for sure if your home has a mold problem, then you can take appropriate actions to remove it.

Soil-based microbes are known to balance out the flora in a home environment and help keep fungi from growing unchecked. These microbes usually come in through dirt on our shoes and from being outside. So don’t be afraid to get outdoors and allow some dirt to come into your home ⁷.

Lastly, you can add good microbes to your home to balance out the biome of your home. Homebiotic’s home probiotic spray adds beneficial soil-based microbes to your home. These microbes naturally eliminate the cause of musty odors.

Conclusion

There are simple and clear actions we can take to prevent mold growth while isolated at home during this coronavirus pandemic. People should understand how mold can impact our immune system, especially those with asthma and allergies. And unfortunately, mold illness can increase susceptibility to other pathogens like the coronavirus.

Mold decreases and confuses the immune response of specific white blood cells, which causes illnesses like asthma and allergies. And for immunocompromised people, mold can be more hazardous.

As we spend more time at home and in the company of our immediate family, you may want to consider some practices to help decrease mold. This includes minimizing moisture build-up, monitoring cleaning practices, and implementing mold prevention strategies. In this way, we can protect our vulnerable family members and keep our immune systems healthy.

REFERENCES:

1. https://www.cell.com/cell-chemical-biology/fulltext/S2451-9456(19)30001-7?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS2451945619300017%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4444319/
3. https://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/43325/E92645.pdf
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28608416
5. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935115000304
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4122981/
7. https://err.ersjournals.com/content/27/148/170137
8. https://letthemeatdirt.com

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Tag: covid-19