Gov. Cuomo: Malls In NY State Will Require Air Conditioning Systems That Filter The Coronavirus

[appalachiablue]

- 'Malls In New York State Will Require Air Conditioning Systems That Filter The Coronavirus, Cuomo,' CNBC, June 29.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/29/malls-in-new-york-state-will-require-air-conditioning-systems-that-filter-the-coronavirus-gov-cuomo-says.html

* 'Hepa Filter Mall Suggestion May Not Be Possible,' Business Insider, June 30, 2020.
https://www.businessinsider.com/cuomos-hepa-filter-mall-suggestion-may-not-be-possible-2020-6

[Alacritous Crier]

1. I don't see how...

anything like that would be very effective. The spread takes place long before air returns to an air handler. This just seems more like flash instead of substance.

Masks, distancing, hand washing and contact tracing are the things that work. The more effort spent educating/enforcing those things the better.


GOTV.

[Shermann]

2. I'm not so sure

It is true that droplets from super-spreaders in your immediate vicinity are the most significant threat. Any aerosolized virus which makes its way through a centralized air conditioning system and back will naturally be greatly diffused by then.

But if we are on our way to herd immunity with a large percentage of the population being infected, perhaps it might make a small difference. Those small differences add up. It doesn't replace the mitigations you mentioned, it adds another layer. Perhaps they would be even more effective in smaller office buildings?

I'd be interested to see any real numbers behind it.