Ventilation systems in many buildings, which are designed to keep temperatures comfortable, may increase the risk of exposure to the novel coronavirus which causes Covid-19, particularly during the winter season when people prefer to stay indoors, says a new study. Scientists, including those from the University of Cambridge in the UK, found that widely-used ‘mixing ventilation’ systems, which are designed to keep conditions uniform in all parts of the room, disperse airborne contaminants evenly throughout the space. According to the study, published in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics, these contaminants may include droplets and aerosols, potentially containing viruses such as the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
With evidence increasingly indicating that the coronavirus is spread primarily via droplets and aerosols expelled as people cough, sneeze, talk, or…