We are in the dead of summer across the country, which means our home's HVAC systems are in full swing, cooling our indoor air. The United States is also in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. With more time being spent in our homes, have you ever wondered if our indoor air can circulate and spread the COVID-19 virus? There are a few things to understand first before coming to a conclusion on the topic: how the coronavirus is spread and how HVAC systems work. Here's what you need to know.
The spread of the virus is still being heavily researched; however, right now droplet transmission is thought to be the primary method. When an infected person coughs, sneezes or even breathes, particles of breath or spit carrying the virus comes out of the persons mouth or nose. These particle droplets then spread into the air, up to 6 feet (if not more) and can transmit the virus by coming into contact with another person's mouth, nose, or eyes.
Another possible way the virus is spread is through aerosol transmission. This happens when an infected person sneezes or coughs and the tiny COVID-19 infected particles linger in the air and are carried around in air currents, spreading the virus further. There isn't concrete evidence on to what extent aerosol transmission spreads the virus, but it is does occur and mainly in closed indoor areas.
This leads into the chance that air conditioning could potentially transmit the virus. Your HVAC system continually circulates the air throughout your home and could, potentially, suck in the virus particles expelled from an infected person and then blow these particles back out into the indoor air, much further than just the room you're in. Other infectious diseases like smallpox, measles, SARS, chickenpox, tuberculosis and influenza all have been shown to spread through improperly used HVAC systems.
HVAC systems don't bring fresh air in from outside, rather they recirculate air in the home. When working properly, HVAC systems should improve your home’s IAQ (indoor air quality) by removing dust, dander, dirt, and other debris and by controlling the humidity in your home via ventilation. When your home is properly ventilated, contaminated air and excess humidity are vented out of your home year-round.
With forced air systems, air is passed through an air filter that traps volatile organic compounds (VOCs), airborne particulates, mold, dust, and allergens. Improving air filtration is the most beneficial thing that can be done to reduce the effects of poor indoor air quality. Air filtration provides a means to attain the desired level of indoor air quality.
Now that you know how the coronavirus is spread and how an HVAC system operates, the conclusion would be that yes, theoretically virus infected particles in the air could, in fact, be sucked into the AC unit and circulated around your home. However, definitive answers about this topic are not readily available as there has only been a little bit of research on the topic.
The main thing is to make sure your HVAC system is working properly and efficiently - especially regarding ventilation. During the summer months when we go indoors to find comfort in the air-conditioned rooms, there is less ventilation and more opportunity for the disease to spread. And it's not really the air conditioner's fault. It's more about when inside a home or building, you are not socially distancing and re-breathing air that others around you just exhaled. Combine that with doors and windows being shut to keep the cool air inside, there is virtually no fresh air flowing and everyone is breathing and re-breathing the same indoor air. The good news is this is mainly more of a concern in public indoor places. When you're at home, contracting COVID-19 via air conditioning units or through air currents is no more probable than the virus being spread by close contact with contaminated surfaces.
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