Heat summer: Stressful Work in the own four walls during the Corona-crisis
Experts expect this year again with a hot summer. The temperatures should rise again to about 35 degrees. In addition, it is not a dry heat, but are often hot and humid. In the home office, and home quarantine, the more burdensome work is then. So, how do we survive the summer in the Corona-crisis?
The spread of the novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV stem 2, it is still important interpersonal contacts to a Minimum. Many people, especially those courses with an increased risk for severe disease, often at home. In addition, many are currently working in the home office. All of this is stressful enough, but soon has another Problem well: We must long withstand periods of heat in the own four walls.
Special Challenges
As the Leibniz-Institute for ecological spatial development (IÖR) in a recent communication, writes, before Germany and Europe, once again, an extremely hot summer. Before the world weather organization of the United Nations (WMO) warned.
In the Corona-crisis for cities and municipalities, and also for every single human with special challenges.
A lot of time at home
For many people, work in a home office has become a normality. All the workforce are currently working in the own four walls. In addition, contact constraints have the effect that more people need to spend a lot of time at home.
And also many of the Older, or persons from high-risk groups are less likely to leave their own apartment, not with the Coronavirus to infect.
Cool places like air-conditioned shopping malls or shady green spaces to visit, if it is to endure in the overheating housing – this piece of advice in times of Corona-pandemic, only a limited validity.
Not since Corona is clear: Particularly in densely built-up Quarters of the long-lasting periods of heat in summer is a Problem. But how can adapt to cities? This is a question that the research project HeatResilientCity (English: heat-adapted cities) of the IOER until the beginning of 2021, according to goes.
These measures can mitigate heat in buildings
The previous study results in the journal “Buildings & Cities“ were released, show that one of the most important measures to protect especially the apartments in the upper floors from Overheating, and a better insulation of the roof and the ceilings in the upper floors.
Also triple glazed Windows reduce the heat transfer by intense sunshine in the summer. It is important that this window can be opened for a good cooling in the night hours.
In addition, rooms with large Windows and high sun radiation are obscured by the outer verse, for example, by external blinds or roller blinds. According to the experts should come in the renovation of buildings in the area of the roof, the massive components, which can store much heat.
In the summer of disadvantage-developed roof is shown projectiles. These are particularly susceptible to Overheating, as there is a heavy layer of material, which could store the heat for a long time missing. Due to intensive solar radiation, the heat on the roof surface reaches the rooms quickly in the interior.
Structural adjustments to the Quick to implement
The Problem at the forthcoming hot Corona-the summer: The structural adjustments can not be put into effect overnight.
In addition, residents of Apartment and multi-family homes are dependent on the rental party detects the Overheating of the housing as a Problem and actively.
In addition, the measures are expensive to implement. Not every Person can afford to Live in a such a upgraded the building and the associated higher Rent then.
Everyone can the company itself
The researchers have therefore examined also, what do the residents themselves, in order to reduce the heat stress in the own apartment. The project team shows that there are also various possibilities.
The A and O are, therefore, measures which ensure that the heat reaches the rooms in the interior. The most effective protection is, in turn, an exterior shading.
But the one who has no outside blinds, you should provide instead for the sun protection in the Interior. Here, for example, curtains or use blinds made of an opaque, highly reflective Material is recommended.
If the rooms are still heated up, then it comes down to proper Ventilation. Particularly effective is night to leave all the Windows completely open. Even if no noticeable breeze blowing, flowing cooler air from the outside into the apartment and mitigates the greatest heat.
This is especially important when apartments during prolonged periods of hot weather every day a bit more heat. However, it is not always possible to open the window all night, because of noise or because of the risk of Burglary in a ground floor apartment.
The project team recommends that in such cases, window and room doors, at least in the evening and early hours of the morning when it is cooler outside than inside, as long as you can open. So walls, floors and Ceilings of the apartment, the store, the summer heat can cool down.
Not least, the good ventilation of the housing can also be an effective means to minimize the risk of the novel Coronavirus to infect,. Because of the regular exchange of air also reduces the aerosol load in the premises. In this way, two birds with measures to be taken against the summer heat with one stone. (ad)
Authors and source of information
This Text meets the requirements of the medical literature, medical guidelines, as well as current studies and was examined by doctors and Medical scientists.