Wpg Free Press: Cold, dry truth

As the Winnipeg Free Press reports:

COVID-19 thrives in cold, dry settings, making a Winnipeg winter fertile ground for its spread.

Research, increasingly, suggests the virus lingers indoors and infects people through microscopic particles, known as aerosols.

“Cold, dry air is apparently associated with higher rates of transmissibility,” says Andrew Halayko, a University of Manitoba pathophysiology professor specializing in lung diseases.

“In northern regions, as we are in Winnipeg, there’s a bigger impact of temperature and humidity in the atmosphere. So the climate on the outside will affect our conditions in the house.”

…”Drawing in fresh air and eliminating old air is very important,” says Halayko, the Canada Research Chair in Lung Disease and Treatment.

Ventilating occurs naturally outdoors. Droplets dissipate in the open air, even without wind.

Creating that condition indoors means using internal systems to help filter the air, or opening windows to create crosswinds. But using a fan is trickier.