‘Improve ventilation system of buildings to keep Covid at bay’
Coronavirus can even spread through air conditioners in the absence of natural air circulation in the rooms
An improved ventilation system in buildings can help reduce the spread of Covid-19, speakers said at a webinar on Thursday.
Coronavirus can even spread through air conditioners in the absence of natural air circulation in the rooms, they opined.
This was shared during the virtual platform titled "Air-Conditioned Space and Covid-19: Immediate things to Do in Bangladesh Context".
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The Science and Technology Sub-Committee of Bangladesh, Awami League, hosted the event in which Coordinator and Spokesperson of the ruling party-led 14-party alliance, Amir Hossain Amu, was present as chief guest.
The University of Texas, Austin, researchers Bikash Chandra Mandal and Robert Bakainski presented their keynote papers on the topic.
Amir Hossain Amu said everyone needs to make sure that their dwellings have adequate ventilation to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
"If it is there, it has to be maintained, and if not, it has to be arranged," Amu said.
He urged the engineers to come up with long-term, as well as ad-hoc and affordable solutions.
The AL leader said air is getting trapped in Dhaka's high-rises, and people are forced to use air-conditioners, through which Covid-19 can spread.
"We have to take integrated measures to prevent the spread of virus in various establishments, including hospitals, schools, colleges, libraries, garment factories, markets, museums and cinema halls."
"Covid-19 is severely impacting our lives and the world economy. Though we have not been as hard-hit by the virus as some other countries of the world, there is no denying that we have suffered," he stated.
In his keynote address, Bikash Chandra Mandal said: "We have to be careful to keep the air safe during Covid-19. There are three main things to keep in mind to keep air in indoor spaces safe or germ-free. These are Ventilation, Air Filtration and Distribution."
He further said that if the air inside an installation is replaced with incoming air from outside, it can destroy germs quickly. Up to 99% of germs can be removed. In this way, it is possible to make the air germ-free in 31 minutes by free circulation of the air 10 times per hour. But none of this can be done in an integrated way.
The webinar was chaired by Awami League Advisory Council Member and the Science and Technology Sub-Committee Chairman, Prof Hossain Mansur.
