The studies till date are not suggesting that the virus is air borne. The virus is propagated through the coughing, sneezing and at times speaking by an infected person and the droplets travel a distance of ~ 2 m and settle on the surface. If a non-infected person comes in contact with the droplets he is likely to get infected. Smaller droplets may travel longer distance with draft of air.
As the virus is not air borne as per the studies till date, Room AC do not transmit the virus.
Yes, it is safe to use Room AC at home, as the house is a private place with negligible possibility of an infected person coming to your home under the present circumstances of lockdown and social distancing.
It depends on what type of office you have and what precautions are being taken to screen the office staff and visitors. If your office is small with few known people with screening it is safe. In case of large number of incoming visitors, it is essential to take higher precautions. The staff and the visitors should follow the guidelines of government such as use of sanitizers and masks to reduce the risk. The possibility of space getting contaminated is same with or without Room AC. AC can be used with adequate ventilation using exhaust fans.
The no of visitors in a restaurant or shops high. The density is also high. AC as such does not add to the contamination. Rearrange the workplace and tables to maintain the social distancing norm. AC can be used with adequate ventilation using exhaust fans.
The suggested default temperature setting by BEE is 24 Deg C. The comfort conditions depend on the ambient humidity. It is recommended that 24-30 Deg C should be maintained.
Additional Guidelines:
Maintain relative humidity between 40 % and 70%.
- In Dry climates, do not allow relative humidity to fall below 40%, water evaporating from a pan to be kept in room will increase if relative humidity falls below 40%
- Recirculation of cool air by room AC, must be accompanied by outdoor air intake through slightly open windows and exhaust by natural exfiltration
- Fresh air intake through a fan filter unit will prevent outdoor dust entry and exhaust through kitchen and toilet exhaust fan must be kept operational
For residential application it is advisable to keep window slightly open with the exhaust fan in the attached toilet block running for ventilation. Keep the room well ventilated by keeping doors and windows open whenever the AC is not running.
Always get the servicing done thru authorized technician of the company. Insist on the identity card and ask him if he has followed the guidelines of his company for social distancing and sanitization for himself and the tools he is carrying.
The no of visitors in a restaurant or a shops are high. Therefore, the density is also high. AC as such does not add to the contamination. Rearrange the workplace and tables, adhering to the social distancing norm. AC can be used with adequate ventilation using exhaust fans.
The studies till date do not suggest that the virus is air borne. The virus is propagated through coughing, sneezing and by being in close proximity with the infected person as the droplets can travel a distance of ~ 2 m and can settle on the any surface. If a non-infected person comes in contact with the droplets they are likely to get infected. Smaller droplets may travel longer distance with air.