The Truth About Air Conditioning & Coronavirus

With social media messages about air conditioners helping the spread of coronavirus, here’s a fact check on the issue.

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Saturday took to Twitter to clarify that using window AC is safe, but the issue with central air conditioning systems are a little complicated.

“As the mercury soars, here’s one more #PIBFactcheck. Claim : ACs should not be used to cool off in the heat, as they spread #Covid_19. Fact : It’s a little complicated. Window ACs are ok, but not central air-conditioning,” the PIB tweet said.

The reason being while room ACs are used for a confined space, it is okay to use if no one is infected. But central air conditioning systems have the potential to spread the virus through larger areas and can transmit the virus from a positive patient to the whole building.

A study conducted on 10 COVID-19 patients who dined at a restaurant in China’s Guangzhou, showed that all of them were present inside the five-floor windowless place. It was concluded that the likely cause was most likely droplet transmission which could have travelled far because of the strong airflow of the air conditioner.