If virions have trouble surviving north of 85 degrees Fahrenheit, then why not just raise the indoor temperature of buildings to that temperature, and possibly add humidification to reduce the coronavirus / Covid-19 spread? Link to an article on this idea.
The study, by an air-conditioning and humidification company, found that air-conditioning and humidification may have an effect*. It could well be true, but I’m guessing that its main effect will be on the viability of virus particles transmitted by sneezing that have settled on surfaces. It won’t address someone coughing in your face or close contact. Not sure if the recommended temperature would also make you sweat or shed precious bodily fluids more as well.
If you were constructing and managing an environment aiming to minimise unnecessary infection risks it seems like something to look at. You might just employ some people to wipe down common surfaces like hand-rails and door knobs. I’m sure the relevant study from the alcoholic wipe and door-knob spray industry is not too far off.
- Probably the only sage advice my father ever offered is ‘Never ask a barber if you need a haircut’.
Making the air inside a bunch of buildings hot and humid is going to cause all sorts of problems. For one, people are uncomfortable at those temperatures. You’re also going to get condensation in colder areas and probably lots of mold growth.
The virus survives quite well inside a human body, at 98.6ºF. All too well, in many cases.
So raising the room temp above 85ºF would be too hot for most human bodies, which seem to be most comfortable around 70-75ºF. So the body would expend more effort in trying to cool itself, thus putting more stress on it, and making it more susceptible to a virus. Seems self-defeating. [But not for a business selling heating & humidification equipment.]
Not to mention all the other bugs that are going to love a hot and humid environment.
Wouldn’t that cause some other diseases to spread faster?
Indeed so.
This “solution” is of the invasive species variety. Bringing in a new invasive species to take care of a previously introduced invasive species brings its own set of problems.
Also, I’m a little iffy on the economic, engineering, and ecologic cost of heating that much space or if it’s even possible.
Hmm. I do see now the cited article was done by a company that no less produces humidification products(!) Looking a little more, I see this is somewhat complicated.
Viruses with lipid envelopes (coronoviruses included) tend to survive longer at low relative humdities (RH).
One study:
Another study:
This study is more cautious:
As far as discomfort, mold, and other factors, these have to be weighed against a 2% death rate, a huge negative impact on a national economy, and a potential pandemic.
This coronavirus doesn’t seem to be that deadly among younger adults in good shape. So the threat is death has quite a bit of overlap with those who are older or have other health issues that make them more susceptible to heat injuries and related deaths. Combining higher heat with higher humidity that makes natural cooling less effective is probably going to cause serious health issues and deaths. I would want an estimate comparing deaths from the ‘solution’ to the deaths it prevents before I assume there is a net benefit. Maybe this makes sense. Maybe it doesn’t.
Sometimes the cure really is worse than the disease.