Thursday, March 28
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Why Should You Rethink Office Air Conditioning During the Pandemic

The pandemic has taken a lot from people; lives, the ability to move freely, time, and completely changed our perception of things. What we did and took for granted every day was diminished or at least altered and changed. This goes for going out for a walk as well as mere ventilation.

The outbreak caused many countries to put its citizens in lockdown and the World Health Organization came with several steps people need to take to avoid infection. One of those steps was to decrease the use of air conditioners and fans for several reasons. 

Read on below to find out why you should rethink office air conditioning during the pandemic.

Avoids Spread

The number one reason why you should rethink office air conditioning during the pandemic is to avoid the spread. After wearing the mask for so long during the day, all people want is to enter a room with a cooling system. Air conditioners pose an issue though as they do not just regulate the air, they create circulation.

In buildings with several people working, circulation, in this case, is not a good option as the virus is airborne and creating that circulation will allow for an increase in chances of spreading the virus more. On the off chance that an employee has contracted the virus and is unaware, the ventilation system can be a source of spreading that and infecting others as well.

Getting fresh air is essential, and although it does not eliminate the virus, it at least dilutes it while still getting the requirements of air to breathe properly.

Allows You to Move

During the pandemic, the World Health Organization, as well as most experts suggested that doing some sort of exercise would be very beneficial. Studies suggest that working out will help you avoid the respiratory issue called ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome); that is when your lungs suddenly get inflamed and prevent oxygen from reaching your organs.

Exercise helps you breathe more and gets your respiratory muscles stronger which aids in avoiding ARDS. Studies also show though that air conditioning or the cold air makes people drowsy and make you drift off into sleep faster. Switching off your AC for a while might energize you and get you motivated to get up and do any sort of exercise or movement.

Avoids Allergies

Although it may not be that common, allergies to air conditioners exist and need to be put into consideration especially during the pandemic. With an allergy to air conditioning, the symptoms include but are not limited to sneezing, coughing, dizziness, shortness of breath, and fever.

The first two are generally avoided at all costs when there are people around as they are both ways of spreading the disease. The latter two are more detrimental to the person with the allergies health as fever and a weaker immune and respiratory system will put them at risk for getting the virus.

There are ways to avoid this though which is by removing allergens through filters, as these filters will stop pollen, mold and mildew, bacteria, and viruses from getting through. So if you have to use the air conditioner, opt for a filter at least so that people in your office can stay safe. 

Decreases Expenses

It is no secret that during the pandemic, thousands of businesses around the world lost a great deal of income. Employees had to get cut in half, and others had to work from home. Either way, both people and businesses lost a lot of finances while still having to pay their expenses.

Businesses still have to pay remaining employees and other expenses depending on the type of business, and employees still have to pay their rent, their food, and other costs. Suffice it to say, air conditioners can get quite expensive too, and electricity bills are through the roof during the summer in most locations. Minimizing expenses in any area of life will help you stick to a budget until life gets back to normal.

Going from a really warm area to an indoors ventilated space feels wonderful. The cold air hits and you suddenly forget the heat you were in before. With the pandemic though we had to rethink turning on the air conditioning and other HVAC systems in order to avoid any spread.

There are other ways to ventilate an office and even if you have to use an air conditioner, minimizing its use will help you get through this pandemic without a hitch. After all, your health as well as your employees’ is very important and must always be put into consideration.

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