SPACES TO SHOW YOU HOW WELL THE
AIR IS FLOWING.
>> Reporter: AMERICANS ARE
GETTING BACK TO WORK, DINING,
AND SHOPPING AGAIN, BUT EXPERTS
WARN THESE INDOOR ACTIVITIES CAN
MAKE IT EASY FOR THE VIRUS TO
SPREAD.
RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
OXFORD FOUND COVID-19
TRANSMISSION IS NEARLY 19 TIMES
MORE LIKELY TO HAPPEN INDOORS
THAN OUTDOORS.
SCIENTISTS AGREE, IF YOU’RE
GOING TO BE INSIDE, THE BETTER
THE AIR FLOW, THE LOWER THE
RISK.
TO DETERMINE AIR FLOW, EXPERTS
USE THIS VENTILATION SMOKE
DEVICE.
ALL YOU DO IS CRACK THESE TWO
PARTS, AND THEN SQUEEZE OUT A
PUFF OF SMOKE.
THAT SIMULATES WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
A PERSON WHALES.
IF THE SMOKE DOESN’T MOVE TOO
MUCH, LIKE THIS, IT COULD BE A
PROBLEM.
WATCH WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I HAVE
AN OPEN WINDOW NEARBY.
THE SMOKE DISSIPATES QUICKLY.
SO I HEAD OUT TO SEE HOW THE AIR
IS FLOWING INSIDE COMMON PUBLIC
SPACES, BY TRACKING THE FLOW OF
THIS HARMLESS SMOKE.
WE’RE AT THE GROCERY STORE.
LET’S GIVE IT A TRY.
TAKE OFF THE CAP.
ONE PUFF.
ALL RIGHT.
LOOKS LIKE IT IS BREAKING UP
FAIRLY QUICKLY, ACTUALLY.
ALL RIGHT.
WE’RE TRYING A DIFFERENT SPOT,
MORE INTERIOR WITH AISLES.
THERE GOES THE SMOKE.
IT’S NOT REALLY MOVING AWAY FROM
ME LIKE IT DID BEFORE.
WITH THE DRIVER’S PERMISSION, I
TRY IT INSIDE A RIDESHARE.
YOU CAN SEE IT’S NOT SO GREAT,
WHICH IS WHY RIDESHARE COMPANIES
ASK PEOPLE TO PUT THEIR WINDOWS
DOWN.
THAT REALLY HELPS WITH THE AIR
FLOW.
WATCH THIS.
GONE.
LET’S GIVE IT A TRY IN THE
HARDWARE STORE.
THE SMOKE DIDN’T SEEM TO MOVE AT
ALL.
I CAN DEFINITELY STILL SEE WHISP
OF SMOKE.
LET’S COMPARE WHAT HAPPENED
INDIED COMPAREIN
INSIDE COMPARED TO WHAT HAPPENED
OUTSIDE.
IT IS GONE WITHIN SECONDS.
WHAT ABOUT RUSHETURNING TO WORK,
WHERE MANY PEOPLE USE ELEVATORS?
DOESN’T LOOK LIKE IT CIRCULATES
WELL.
WHAT ABOUT A DEPARTMENT STORE,
AS WE ALL GET READY TO SHOP
AGAIN?
I CAN STILL SEE IT, BUT IT IS
DISSIPATING PRETTY QUICKLY AND
MOVING AWAY FROM ME.
AMERICA HAS TO EAT.
WHAT ABOUT RESTAURANTS?
THE SMOKE QUICKLY DRIFTS TO THE
VENT ABOVE ME.
WATCH WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE AN EMP
EMPTY MOVIE THEATRE.
IT IS MOVING, BUT THE CLOUD
ISN’T DISSIPATING.
WE SHOWED OUR VIDEOS TO A
PROFESSOR OF GEORGE MASON
UNIVERSITY, WHO USES THE SMOKE
TUBE IN HIS STUDIES.
HE WORKED WITH
AND SHOWED WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE A
CLASSROOM WITH POOR CIRCULATION.
>> THERE ARE CERTAIN AREAS THAT
ARE PROBLEMATIC, THAT ARE PRONE
TO PATHOGEN TRANSMISSION.
>> Reporter: HE SAID WHERE THE
SMOKE DIDN’T MOVE MUCH COULD BE
A HIGHER RISK OF COVID-19
BECAUSE THE VIRAL PARTICLES
COULD LINGER IN THE AIR.
>> THE MOST CONCERNING WAS THE
HARDWARE STORE.
THERE’S BARELY ANY FLOW.
IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER PERSON
COMING IN, EVEN A MINUTE
AFTERWARDS, YOU WOULD STILL HAVE
PARTICLES LINGERING IN THERE
THAT WERE EXHALED BY THE PERSON
THAT WAS THERE BEFORE.
THE OTHER SCENARIO THAT I FOUND
VERY CONCERNING WAS THE ONE IN
THE CINEMA.
THIS WAS A VERY POOR RESULT OF
FLOW THAT WAS SLOWLY RISING.
ANYBODY THAT WAS EXHALING OR
SNEEZING IN THE FRONT, ALL OF
THOSE PARTICLES WERE BEING
INHALED BY ALL THE ROWS BEHIND.
>> Reporter: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY
TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GO SEE A
MOVIE RIGHT NOW?
>> WEAR A MASK.
IF POSSIBLE, WEAR TWO MASKS.
THE SECOND THING IS, ONLY GO TO
A CINEMA ONCE YOU’RE VACCINATED.
>> Reporter: HE SAID THE
DEPARTMENT STORE AND RESTAURANT
H
HVAC SYSTEMS WORKED PERFECTLY,
SUCKING THE SMOKE AWAY AND INTO
THE INTAKE EVENT.
HE ALSO WARNED.
>> PERHAPS IF YOU MEASURED
ANOTHER LOCATION, IT WOULD NOT
HAVE BEEN AS GOOD.
IN A PANDEMIC SITUATION, IT’S
ALWAYS BAD TO BE IN A CROWDED
ENVIRONMENT.
>> Reporter: FOR NOW, MASKS AND
BEING OUTDOORS ARE STILL VITAL
TO PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF
COVID-19.
>> NOW, ULTIMATELY, IT IS UP TO
YOU TO MAKE YOUR OWN RISK
ASSESSMENT WHEN GOING INSIDE.
WHILE A GOOD HVAC SYSTEM CAN DO
A LOT TO PREVENT TRANSMISSION,
THE PROFESSOR SAYS THERE IS NO
SUBSTITUTE FOR OPENING THE
WINDOWS, WHICH WE’LL PROBABLY
SEE MORE OF AS BUSINESSES ENTER
THE SUMMER AND IT IS NICE OUT.
>> OF COURSE, NOT EVERYBODY HAS
YOUR HANDY DEVICE THERE.
HOW CAN YOU TELL OR ASSESS ANY
PLACE’S AIR FLOW?
>> USE YOUR SENSES.
IF THE AIR IS HOT AND STUFFY OR
HUMID OR SMELLS STALE, THOSE ARE
WARNING SIGNS THERE IS POOR
VENTILATION.
YOUR BEST DEFENSE, BEYOND A
VACCINATION AND A MASK, IS TO
LIMIT YOUR EXPOSURE.
TRY TO GET OUT OF THE SPACE AS
QUICKLY AS YOU CAN.
IF YOU’RE GOING TO A RESTAURANT,
ASK TO BE SEATED OUTDOORS OR
NEXT TO A WINDOW, IF POSSIBLE.
>> FASCINATING.
>> YEAH.
YOUR THING ABOUT HOLDING THE
BREATH IN THE ELEVATOR, IT WAS
SMART.
THAT WAS YOUR INSTINCT, SPOT ON.
>> HOLD YOUR BREATH IN THE