DHAKA, Oct 22, 2020 (BSS) – Speakers in a webinar organized by the sub-committee on science and technology of Awami League (AL) today said here that air ventilation system should be installed in air-conditioned places to prevent COVID-19 infection.
They came up with the call at the special webinar titled ‘Air-conditioned space and COVID-19: Immediate action in the context of Bangladesh (Shitatop Niyontrito Sthan O COVID-19 :Bangladesh Prekkhapotey Ashu Koronio).
Awami League advisory council member and central 14-party alliance Coordinator and Spokesperson Amir Hossain Amu, MP, joined the webinar as the chief guest.
Sub-Committee Chairman Prof Dr Md Hossain Mansur presided over the webinar where AL Science and Technology Affairs Secretary Engineer Md Abdus Sabur spoke.
Bikash Chandra Mandal, one of the researchers at the University of Texas, Dallas in the United States, presented the keynote paper on the occasion.
Amir Hossain Amu said “COVID-19 has created a reign of terror all over the world. Our country is very populous, our resources are limited. And so the risk for us is much higher.”
Although the use of air conditioning in rural areas is small, the use of HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) is increasing rapidly in urban areas, at individual level and in business, government or private sectors, he said.
“So, there’s no way to see it lightly that how much air conditioning is affecting or risking the COVID-19,” he said.
“Dhaka is so crowded that one of our mistakes or carelessness could lead to the deadly spread of COVID-19,” AL leader added.
In the new buildings, hospitals, markets that are being built in our country, may be are following some standards of HVAC design but the old buildings were not being built in that way, he said.
Amu said in many cases the building has been built for one purpose but it is being used for other purposes such as private clinics and garments, adding :”The chances of COVID-19 spreading are very high in all these cases.”
Expressing optimism about the COVID-19 situation in Bangladesh, Abdus Sabur said that today’s world is plagued by the epidemic coronavirus and however, from that point of view, the situation in Bangladesh is much better.
It is now seen that COVID-19 virus is spreading more in air-conditioned places due to various reasons, he said, adding :”Our researchers will detail what we need to do in this situation. We will send the recommendations received from this webinar to the Executive Committee of the Awami League and the concerned departments of the government to resolve problems.”
Bikash Chandra Mandal said the larger the droplet of a virus, the sooner it goes down.
But if the droplet of a virus is small, it will float in the air and take longer time to drop on the ground, he added.
He said AC does not spread the corona virus, adding that If a virus enters the air-conditioned area from outside, arrangements must be made to get the virus out quickly and for which it is important to have adequate ventilation system.
He said that there are different types of filters with which it is possible to bring out the germs from the air-conditioned places.
“This will reduce the risk. If AC is installed properly, the air will be sterile and safe. To keep the air in a confined space safe or germ-free, there are three main things to keep in mind such as ventilation, air filtration and distribution,” he suggested.