#themercury — Public Fediverse posts

Another update: Some more info on the work #TheMercury did with their #HVAC system, sent to me by the club's manager.

In addition to increasing the airflow through the club (which is essentially what the #CO2 monitor measures), the air going through the system also goes through filters rated MERV 13 or better, in-duct air ionizers, and then passes over in-duct UVC lights for sterilization. Restrooms are vented directly outside, instead of being cycled back into the club's primary ventilation.

They've done a _lot_ of work to keep the club and the community as safe as possible, and should absolutely be recognized for that.

And as a friendly reminder: The Mercury is an all-volunteer business, so when you come out, be sure to tip! The staff (including doorpeople, coat check, bartenders, and DJs) put a lot of their time and effort into the space; show your appreciation as you can!

#seattle #goth #seagoth

Update: I went to #TheMercury myself for Caturday this past weekend, and stayed until just after midnight with my #Aranet4 #CO2 monitor, which gave a fuller picture. The good news is that given the situation (a basement #seattle #seagoth #goth dance club), I’m still pretty impressed with the Mercury’s ventilation. However, it’s worth noting that as the night goes on, more people arrive, and as the dance floor gets more use, even great ventilation can only do so much.

Starting at about 10pm the readings went into the yellow, and at 11:30 they’d crept up into the red, peaking at 1790ppm at 12:10 am.

I’m still comfortable enough to go out from time to time (though may more regularly make midnight my “pumpkin hour”), but I’ll also definitely be continuing to stay masked while I’m there until community #Covid transmission levels drop down (if they ever do).

Following a pandemic-induced shutdown, local #SeaGoth #Seattle #goth bar/dance club #TheMercury has been reopened for just over a year now. I haven't returned yet, but I'd heard through the grapevine that they'd done a _lot_ of work on their HVAC system during their hiatus, and apparently have a system that meets or exceeds what's expected for hospital grade systems.

Sounds pretty good -- but I was curious as to just what that meant for their air quality, especially as this is a basement club, and with any such place, is likely to have a lot of people talking and breathing heavily when out on the dance floor. Plus, while I've been told that many people are wearing masks while they're there, it's by no means 100% (and, of course, it's safe to assume that those who don't/won't mask are at higher risk than those who do).

I had a friend who was heading out there last Saturday night for a little while, and between the one-year re-opening anniversary and there being a merchandise table to distribute shirts and hoodies that people had purchased in a recent fundraiser, we could expect that there would be a good number of people there, even early in the evening. My friend was kind enough to carry along my #Aranet4 #CO2 monitor during their time there.

Though only there for about an hour, while there, in order to get the best possible "worst case" scenario, they made sure to sit near the merchandise table where people were gathering, and went out on the dance floor a few times. Yesterday I picked up the monitor and loaded its record to see the results.

The end result was, to be entirely honest, much better than I'd expected. The air quality stayed in the green the entire time they were there, averaging around 800 ppm. This is _really_ impressive for that sort of situation.

Of course, there are some definite caveats to this:

- It was the first hour, so even with their best efforts to find the most crowded areas, this may not be entirely indicative of what might be measured at peak times.
- This is a measure of CO2 levels, not #COVID or other viruses; you can still be exposed even in a well-ventilated space, even if the likelihood is reduced.
- And because of that, however good the air quality is, there's always the chance of talking with someone who is unmasked, asymptomatic, and exhaling their viral load directly into your face.

Since community transmission levels for the Seattle area are still pretty high, I'd still definitely recommend wearing a mask when out clubbing.

However, seeing measurements like this tells me that the money, time, and effort spent upgrading the club's systems was well spent. I'm still keeping an eye on community transmission levels before I go out, but when I do, I'll feel a lot more comfortable (though I will be staying masked as well).

(The spikes at the beginning and end of the graph are from when my friend was in their car going to and from the club.)