COVID-19 Desertion – Investigating Mold Potentials before Office Re-Entry

Abstract

Background: While workers and organisations heeded lockdown enforcements and abandoned offices in response to COVID-19 pandemic, the potential for mold growth thrived in unoccupied offices. An investigative enquiry to assess the potential and risk of exposure to mold is a sine-qua-non to safe re-entry to offices. Materials and Method: An analytical study conducted through walk through survey involving visual inspection, measurement of physico-chemical parameters (Temperature, Relative Humidity, Air Velocity and Particulate Matters PM2.5); collection and analysis of suspected swab and bulk samples. Results: Results showed copious amount of moisture evidenced by an averagely high relative humidity of 94%, low ambient temperature of 16% and poor ventilation evinced by an air velocity of 0.4 metre per second. Analysis of samples Mucor species revealed (Mucor mucedo, Mucor himalis, Mucor racemosus); Aspergillus species (Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus terrus); Cladosporium species (Cladosporium cladosproides and Cladosporium sphaerosperum). Conclusion: Poor ventilation, deposits of debris, increased moisture and dysfunctional ventilation system as found in abandoned offices for Mold growth. Post lockdown re-entry to offices should be preceded by Mold risk assessment among other measures to rule out the presence of Mold growth. Preparations for re-entry should include deep cleaning with anti Mold agents, optimization of ventilation system using anti Mold and High Efficiency Particulate Absorbing (HEPA) filters, dehumidifiers and safe remediation of suspected mold growth using suitable personal protective equipment.