Many people associate fall and winter with flu and cold season, because it’s the time of year when people are most likely to get sick. There are many reasons why the colder months cause sickness, but one of the main contributing factors is the dry air.

A study conducted by Harvard Medical School found dry air to have a strong association with an increased risk of infection. When the air is dry, it’s easier for skin flakes and droplets carrying harmful bacteria and viruses to travel. Dry air also breaks down our immune barriers, making it harder for our bodies to fight infections.

In colder environments, air tends to be drier, which is why so many people catch a common cold in the winter, but rarely in the summer. It’s also why hospitals, where they tend to keep colder temperatures, see higher rates of infections developing in patients.

Prior to this knowledge, it was believed that airborne bacteria and viruses died as they traveled in dry air. In reality, harmful airborne contaminants are dormant until rehydrated, which occurs when they are inhaled into the body.

To improve symptoms and reduce the spread of viruses and bacteria, it’s important to maintain elevated humidity levels. But it’s not enough to add a humidifier to a room and expect to see changes. According to the study, a 40 to 60 percent relative humidity standard is recommended to minimize the spread of germs.

A helpful tool to better understand air humidity, while maintaining proper levels, is a wireless data logger. An ideal monitoring solution that offers continuous, real-time readings is MadgeTech’s RFRHTemp2000A wireless temperature and humidity data logger. Equipped with fast response sensors, its LCD screen displays current readings, as well as minimum, maximum, and average statistics. If humidity levels fall below or exceed thresholds, the RFRHTemp2000A will trigger an audible alert and send notifications via text or email.

To learn more about the RFRHTemp2000A or to find a data logging solution based on specific needs, call us at (603) 456-2011 or email [email protected].

About MadgeTech Marketing:

Founded in 1996, MadgeTech takes pride in maintaining our production process entirely out of our headquarters in Warner, New Hampshire. Proudly known as an industry expert, MadgeTech data logging solutions are sold in more than 100 countries around the world to the world’s most regulated industries, providing the validation needed for compliance and quality control.