Can Air Conditioning Spread the Coronavirus? Why Experts Are Concerned About Public Spaces

Federal officials are exploring the role of the upcoming summer season on the spread of the novel coronavirus in the United States, debating experts’ arguments that humidity, temperatures, and direct sunshine won’t have a direct impact on the virality of COVID-19. But a new piece of evidence published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suggests that a more pressing concern might be the role that air conditioners will play in keeping communities safe throughout the warmer months.

John Lednicky, Ph.D., a microbiology and virology research specialist within the University of Florida‘s College of Public Health and Health Professions, has identified different kinds of potential airborne exposures related to COVID-19 by actually pulling the virus out of the air. “Normally, many people can produce larger sized droplets, which tend to fall near the person, or medium-sized droplets that can fall a little further, up to six feet away,” Lednicky explains, stressing the importance of maintaining a six-foot berth around other people.

Learn more about Can Air Conditioning Spread the Coronavirus? Why Experts Are Concerned About Public Spaces.