Manual to ventilate environments in spring and in pandemic

During spring, the warmer days begin, the temperature begins to rise and it becomes necessary to turn on the air conditioners to keep the environment cooler and to be more comfortable while we work or study.

But, we must not forget that we continue in this context of a pandemic, and that the circulation of the Delta variant already reaches 30 to 40% in some urban centers of Argentina and that this lineage of SARS-CoV-2 is of ultra-rapid spread.

This makes it necessary to use air conditioners with great responsibility. Is essential to respect the capacity of each room when there are meetings in closed places and, fundamentally, maintain cross ventilation.

The most common symptoms that exposure to colder air can cause are:

– Throat pain

– Dysphonia

– Dry cough

– Presence of a runny nose

– Rhinosinusitis

– Common colds

– Bronchospamos

It is clear that the air conditioning that, today, is not a luxury device, but a necessity. Climate change makes temperatures more extreme, even in temperate zones like ours.

Recommendations when using the air conditioner:

– Periodically review, supervise and inspect the appliances by registered and authorized personnel, who guarantee its correct operation

– Remember that the optimal temperature is between 24° C and 26° C

– Humidity should be kept between 45% and 65%

– Start the air conditioning about 2 hours before the space is occupied to guarantee air conditioning and, after 2 hours of occupation, turn it off and ventilate the room

– It is always recommended to increase the presence of air coming from outside, open doors and windows against the current, although this implies losing, momentarily, the temperature reached

– The generation of air currents allows the recirculation of clean air. In addition, it prevents the accumulation of exhaled particles or aerosols, one of the most important transmission routes of the coronavirus. Bear in mind that the concentration of viral particles in indoor environments is higher than in free spaces, where a slight breeze can reduce their concentration

– Program the air conditioning in ventilation mode and direct the air so that it does not reach anyone directly

– Comply with these same requirements in means of public transport (buses, trains, etc.), as they are places where improvements in ventilation become essential due to the concentration of people that occurs inside and the need to reduce the risk of spreading the virus and reduce the risk of exposition

Remember that the normal temperature of our body is 36.5 ºC. Using the air conditioning below the recommendation, which ranges between 24 and 26 ° C, added to the lack of cleanliness, can cause discomfort in our body. Odynophagia, coughing, sneezing, and runny nose symptoms can be mistaken for COVID-19 symptoms.