“They’re all sick”. Many people say and hear it in this strange summer that, after a long period in which the whims of the weather have split the country in two (very hot in the Center-South, bad weather and autumnal temperatures in the North), is recording record heat waves, accompanied by a singular boom in respiratory infections. A phenomenon that is not only Italian. It is also happening in the United Kingdom, where according to the Health Security Agency, positive Covid tests have increased from 4% at the end of March to 14% at the end of June, with peaks of +17% on July 10. This is reported by the ‘Mirror’, which interviewed Allen Haddrell, a researcher at the School of Chemistry at the University of Bristol, on the issue. To explain the resurgence of Sars-CoV-2 infections, the scientist points to several factors – the new viral variants, holidays, trips, mega events with lots of people gathered together without any more restrictions or protective measures – but he also calls into question one of the most divisive topics of the hot season: the air conditioning.
“In offices – observes Haddrell – people use air conditioning because having an open window might not cool the environment much. Many of these air conditioners cool the air, but they also push it around and in a certain sense ‘seal’ the building, which could lead to an increase in the transmission” of viruses. Could this be true? Asked by Adnkronos Salute, virologist Fabrizio Pregliasco recalls when “in the most acute moments of the pandemic, air conditioning was almost criminalized. Now the refrain is back”, smiles the director of the School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine at the University of Milan, who makes a distinction: “The potential risk of infection exists, as some initial studies in China had highlighted at the time of the coronavirus emergency. But it is concrete only if the air conditioning is poorly managed, without ensuring good exchange”.
“The problems – reasons Pregliasco – are mainly linked to industrial plants when they are not regulated correctly, that is, in a way that there is good indoor cooling, but with the use of fresh air, therefore with a reduction in air recycling”. Correct management of air conditioning therefore makes the difference, not only in the office: “Even in domestic environments, good ventilation, an exchange of air by opening windows, can help avoid the accumulation of droplets in closed environments”, the respiratory droplets of ‘covidian’ memory, a possible vector of viruses.
“Air exchange, together with maintenance, is the main element: it is a system aspect to be decided in industrial environments, while at home it is obtained by ensuring a constant exchange with the ventilation of the rooms”, insists the doctor who finally recalls the importance of “a responsible use of the air conditioner. Against respiratory infections in general it is necessary to pay close attention to sudden changes. A prudent air conditioning is needed in the hot-cold/cold-hot transition – warns Pregliasco – so as to allow the organism a thermal homeostasis, that is, a slow and progressive adaptation”.
#Boom #respiratory #viruses #due
