luchtschip schreef op 1 augustus 2020 17:48:
Research shows that closed, air-conditioned spaces where people go to escape the summer heat—especially when crowded with people close together—may be ideal locations for #coronavirus spread.
Say, like a Trump rally
twitter.com/DrDenaGrayson/status/1289...As temperatures rise with coronavirus cases, experts eye impact of air conditioning
"Anytime we are going into a closed environment, we are at higher risk."
As the summer heat and new cases of the novel coronavirus continue to surge in much of the country, scientists are warily watching what potential impact retreating into air conditioned spaces may be having on the further spread of the virus.
Under normal circumstances, health care professionals encourage the public to seek refuge from high temperatures in the comfort of an air-conditioned space. But these are hardly normal circumstances.
While individuals can take steps to protect themselves, a growing body of research suggests that indoor spaces with poor ventilation or lack of new air can raise the risk of the virus' spread, according to infectious disease aerobiologist Dr. Donald Milton of the University of Maryland.
“Anytime we are going into a closed environment, we are at higher risk,” Milton told ABC News. He added that he was most concerned about people “going to a cooling center where ... the air conditioning is not filtering air or bringing in outside air -- and a lot of people are close together.”
Milton's worries were in part formed by research he and an international team of scientists published earlier this month that looked at the spread of the influenza virus, which causes the seasonal flu. The research found that the flu virus might be spread through the air, as fine droplets, rather than through large droplet spray, as was previously believed.
Moreover, the research revealed the virus’s infection rate appeared to drop in well-ventilated areas. Since both influenza and COVID-19 are respiratory viruses, Milton said his findings could mean that the types of closed spaces people typically go to escape the summer heat, when crowded with people close together, could also be ideal locations for virus spread.
And though Milton said he was especially concerned about cooling centers, a study recently published by researchers at the University of Minnesota and undergoing peer review suggested that the particular indoor setting and even the position of the ventilation could impact how well it did against potential viral-containing particles. With schools scrambling to prepare for fall, the University of Minnesota study included a classroom simulation.
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abcnews.go.com/Health/temperatures-ri...