Hospital ventilation could cause viruses to spread

In the study, researchers investigated the effect of using built-in mechanical ventilation and portable air cleaners (PACs) on the spread of airborne particles, which are similar to those breathed out by a person with a viral respiratory infection. Their work is detailed in Aerosol Science & Technology.

The team tracked the movement of airborne particles around a typical hospital outpatients’ clinic at UCLH in central London using an aerosol generator and particle counters. A variety of scenarios were simulated, including particle movement to a neighbouring room, throughout the whole clinic, and from one room to another room at the far side of the clinic.

They also tested whether factors such as closing doors, or the position of ventilation and PACs within a room, influenced the spread of particles.

The researchers found that while use of built-in ventilation and PACs can reduce particle spread in some scenarios, in some experiments the use of PACs increased aerosol spread by up to 29 per cent between neighbouring rooms. Built-in ventilation potentially increased aerosol migration across the clinic by up to 5.5 times more than if no ventilation was used.