MACS Monthly Newsletter - 2020 - JUN2

frequently among close contacts, within about six feet. This
type of transmission happens from respiratory droplets that
are expelled from one's mouth when people talk to one another or simply breathe in close proximity to each other. On
the other hand, it can also be spread by persons touching
the same contaminated surfaces, although none have been
documented to date. It is thought to happen much more
commonly through close contacts.
Current evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may remain
viable for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of
materials. Cleaning of visibly dirty surfaces, followed by
sanitizing or disinfection, is a best practice measure for the
prevention of COVID-19 and other viral respiratory illnesses
in households and community settings.

nated droplets onto interior surfaces. This goes beyond those
which are required to be touched to drive into the shop, and
include things like radio control knobs, A/C dashboard controls, vent outlets, seat cushions and sun visors, as well as
any personal items the customer may have left inside the
vehicle.
Third there is the HVAC case itself, particularly the condition of the interior duct work surfaces, cabin air filter, blower
motor fins and squirrel cage, blend doors, and the fins and
plates of the heater core(s) and evaporator(s). Especially if
a vehicle's HVAC system is operated in recirculation mode,
there is the possibility of bioaerosols being carried along
with the recirculating air, into the air intake ducts, and onto
the cabin air filter.
Some may think this is a diminished concern, since cabin
air filters are designed to "clean" the air and trap particles
before passing into the HVAC system. However, there are
many different types and classifications of filters, some of
which may be more or less effective than others (not only at
filtering dust and dirt from the air, but also at trapping bioaerosols, if they are even able to do this at all). But this would
lead to a whole other discussion of filtration and filter media,
microorganism survival on filter media, and the potential reaerosolization of the bioaerosol within the HVAC ductwork
and subsequent "blowing out of the vents".
It is unknown how long the air inside a vehicle occupied
by someone with confirmed COVID-19 remains potentially
infectious. Facilities will need to consider these factors.

Three concerns with vehicle service

Looking closely at vehicle service, there are three areas
we're most concerned with:
*
Technician safety
*
Vehicle cleanliness
*
Inside the HVAC Case
First, the technician needs to safely approach the vehicle
and perform some type of sanitizing (which includes the
door handles, steering wheel, shifter handle, seat belt buckles, ignition keys and ignition switch) prior to bringing the
vehicle into the shop for service. This protects the technician
from surface contamination that may be present on the vehicle and should be performed while wearing PPE (personal
protective equipment) like gloves, goggles or a face shield,
and a face mask or respirator. See Figure 2.

Guidelines focused on household settings

MACS Staff

Gus Swensen / Cool Car Auto Air

To date there have
been no guidelines
published by any
government agency
or health organization
which specifically address the cleaning and
disinfection of motor
vehicles, and Toyota
was the only OEM we
could find that offers
general vehicle cleaning and disinfecting
guidance from a corporate level. All the
others we checked
appear to leave it up
to the individual serFigure 3: This is page one of a letvicing dealers to set
ter that MACS sent to the EPA,
procedures for repair
CDC and OSHA, requesting
related cleaning. Still,
guidance for cleaning and disall of these refer back
infecting vehicles during service
to CDC guidelines for
and repair.
surface cleaning and
EPA's product list.
More on that coming up.
MACS has sent letters (Figure 3) to the US EPA, CDC and

Figure 2: Technicians across the country are cleaning vehicles before bringing them in the shop. This technician is wearing PPE
and wiping the door handle, before getting in to wipe the steering
wheel, gear shifter, ignition, and seatbelt / buckles, etc.
Second there is a concern with the general cleanliness
of the vehicle's interior. As people drive their cars they are
talking and breathing, and sometimes droplets are expelled
from their mouths onto the dashboard and other instrument
panel and interior surfaces. Also, if an occupant is sick, they
could possibly sneeze inside the vehicle, expelling contami-

June 2020

MACS Service Reports

MACS Monthly Newsletter - 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MACS Monthly Newsletter - 2020