Is it true that COVID-19 can be transmitted through air conditioning? This is what the experts say
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The transmission of COVID-19 occurs very quickly, especially if you are in a closed room with poor air circulation. Given this, many people are worried that COVID-19 can be transmitted through air conditioning (AC). It is feared that air conditioning in public places such as shops, restaurants, and so on is a source of spreading disease.
So far, research on the spread of COVID-19 through air conditioning has yielded mixed results. A study in China proved the transmission of COVID-19 in air-conditioned restaurants, but many experts stated that air conditioning had no effect.
So, can COVID-19 really be transmitted through air conditioning?
The air conditioner might spread COVID-19, if …
The debate about the transmission of COVID-19 through air conditioning originates from a study in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. In the study, three families tested positive for COVID-19 after eating at a restaurant in Guangzhou, China, at the end of January.
Researchers believe that they caught it after sitting near the air conditioning vents in the restaurant. The SARS-CoV-2 virus likely came from a 63-year-old woman who was positive, but didn’t have any symptoms at the time.
The woman came from Wuhan with her family. They sit at a table located in front of the AC unit. A few days later, four people sitting near them were diagnosed with COVID-19, followed by five others.
A total of nine people in the restaurant tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, as many as 73 other visitors and eight employees who worked that day tested negative.
Researchers suspect that COVID-19 is transmitted through air conditioning in restaurants. According to them, the air circulation from the air conditioner flies droplet containing the coronavirus from the positive woman.
Air conditioning accelerates air circulation so that the air becomes drier and cooler. At the same time, there is a process of evaporation. Evaporation carries with it droplet out of the air conditioner, then carried by the air and rotating in the room.
Droplet COVID-19 patientsshould only be able to fly a certain distance, but the air currents from the AC made these sparks fly further away. In addition, the restaurant does not have windows so the air circulation is bad.
If you refer to this research, COVID-19 can indeed be transmitted through the use of air conditioning. However, there are supporting factors that should not be ignored, namely the lack of air ventilation and the distance between tables that is too close.
Use of AC is not dangerous
Until now, the only reports related to the transmission of COVID-19 through new air conditioners came from cases in Guangzhou. This condition is actually very rare. Even if this happens, there are other supporting factors.
According to Erin Bromage, professor of immunology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, USA, the infection in the restaurant is more due to poor air circulation. On top of that, there were a lot of people huddled in one room.
He also reminded that the research sample was relatively small. The results of the study cannot describe the actual conditions in other open spaces, whether it be restaurants, offices, shops, and so on.
Even during self-quarantine, many people come to air-conditioned pharmacies and supermarkets to buy their daily necessities. The use of air conditioning will not immediately spread disease as long as everyone takes efforts to prevent COVID-19.
Even so, public places that use air conditioning should pay attention to the air circulation in them. Managers must arrange the placement of the AC unit as well as chairs and tables in such a way that the visitors do physical distancing.
Prevent transmission of COVID-19 in an air-conditioned room
COVID-19 is not always transmitted through air conditioning. However, there is still a risk of transmission if you are in the same room with someone who is positive for COVID-19. Therefore, you still have to be vigilant and take preventive measures.
Here are some tips you can do to avoid contracting COVID-19 in an air-conditioned room.
The use of air conditioning does affect air circulation. In fact, air conditioning can deploy droplet contains viruses. However, you don’t need to worry because the risk of transmission through AC is very small. You can protect yourself from the spread of COVID-19 by taking preventive steps.
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Lu, J., Gu, J., Li, K., Xu, C., Su, W., & Lai, Z. et al. (2020). COVID-19 Outbreak Associated with Air Conditioning in Restaurant, Guangzhou, China, 2021. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 26 (7), 1628-1631. doi: 10.3201 / eid2607.200764.
Air Conditioning Systems Can Spread The Coronavirus, Study Suggests. (2020). Retrieved 24 June 2021, from https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/05/19/air-conditioning-coronavirus
Can Air Conditioning Spread COVID-19? Here’s How Risky It Can Be. (2020). Retrieved 24 June 2021, from https://www.health.com/condition/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/can-air-conditioning-spread-covid-19
