GineersNow HVAC June2020, COVID-19, Coronavirus, aircon, air conditioning, chillers, compressors, controls, ducting, heaters, insulation, MEP, pumps, pipes, refrigeration, ventilation 3

E D I T O R ‘ S N O T E
The coronavirus
outbreak has yet to
subside even after a
month into the second
quarter of the year. Save
for a handful of countries,
the majority of the planet’s
population is still reeling from
the adverse effects of the
virus. The world is gradually
adjusting to this viral outbreak
with nothing but a sliver of a
chance at full recovery. While a
lot of us are powering through
the pandemic by working from
home in the comfort of our airconditioned
rooms, one must
ask: are home air-conditioning
systems actually spreading
COVID-19 instead of filtering it
out?
A new study by the Centers
for Disease Control and
Prevention published in the
journal Emerging Infectious
Diseases suggests so.
The newly published study
discovered that 9 people
were infected with COVID-19
simply by sitting near a
coronavirus-positive PUI in a
restaurant in Wuhan, China.
This person was discovered
to be sitting near the AC unit
when he infected everyone in
his table and a few others in
neighboring tables. Needless
to say, this person’s infectious
droplets were spread by the
AC unit.
However, in the same study,
the number of infected cases
from that restaurant did not
increase beyond that group
COVID-19 in the Air
of people. Obviously, the
more people in the room, the
more likely air conditioning
can play a negative role.
This is why, despite being a
crutch to the global economy,
the social distancing laws
and community quarantines
mandated by the world
governments are flattening the
curve and then some.
In conclusion, while airconditioners
are there to
comfort us in the hottest of
days, there are clear benefits
of sacrificing a day or two of
cold air. But, more effective
than turning on the AC, is once
again to distance oneself from
everyone else.
4