The ANSI Federation and standardization community are stepping up with guidance, resources, and initiatives to support public health and safety and the nation's recovery. Suggestions for news items may be submitted to [email protected]. All submissions are published at ANSI's discretion.
Mayo Clinic Podcast Answers Questions about New BA.5 Variant
Amid surging COVID cases due to the highly contagious BA.5 variant, the Mayo Clinic has released a podcast episode educating listeners to keep up to date on their vaccinations. While this new variant is more easily able to dodge existing immune protections, vaccines still offer good protection against severe illness and hospitalization.
With reinfection and long-COVID still very much a risk, continuing to take precautionary measures such mask wearing and crowd avoidance are still important, according to Dr. Gregory Poland. Access the podcast episode.
NIST Develops New Tool to Assess Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality
The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on the importance of air quality and proper ventilation to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. NIST has developed a free online tool to help determine how well a space is ventilated by measuring the carbon dioxide levels in the air. The concentration of carbon dioxide can serve as an indicator of a building’s ventilation rate, which, if adequate, can reduce the concentration of many important indoor contaminants.
Access the free tool on NIST’s website.