Heating on with the windows open - one way to combat Covid

University expert says public areas may need to use the measure

OPENING windows while having the central heating switched on “may be necessary” to help prevent the spread of coronavirus this winter, a city expert has claimed.

Dr Julian Tang, of the University of Leicester, said public areas such as classrooms may need to take the measure to allow ventilation.

Health officials have expressed concern that people spending more time together indoors with the onset of cold weather could result in a spike in Covid-19 cases across the UK.

Dr Tang, honorary associate professor in respiratory sciences, is part of a network of experts who are indicating it may be necessary to open windows with the heating turned on, and he believes that human behaviour will continue to be key.

Speaking about classrooms, Dr Tang said: “What they suggest is that you have to turn on the heating with the windows open, which is a terrible waste of energy.

“But what that does is it creates convective flows that may actually enhance the ventilation in those classrooms.”

He said anything individuals could do to mitigate Covid-19 - such as wearing personal protection equipment – would help and, in some cases, it would be the intervention they can make.

“Increasing ventilation – opening windows – will work in some situations, but a lot of indoor areas cannot ramp up ventilation very well with existing systems, and some of the windows cannot be opened.

“But again, if you’re wearing masks, to some extent this will be helpful, but you have to remove the airborne virus that may be expelled over the hours to actually make those masks work.”

People mixing from different households during the winter is seen as the most likely way for the virus to spread. only

But the move indoors during colder months may not drive up Covid-19 numbers on its own.

Professor Ben Neuman, chairman of biological sciences at Texas A&M University, and a visiting associate professor at the University of Reading, said the winter could potentially have some benefits.

He said: “The move indoors for the winter may not be likely to drive up Covid-19 numbers on its own. A cold winter can bring on its own mini-quarantine as we stay home, and comes with a bit of natural PPE in the form of scarves and gloves.

“Instead, (we should) look for changes in behaviour that lead to the mixing of people from different households, especially where masks would not be worn, as a potential source of Covid-19 - school reopenings, dinner parties, restaurants.”

He added that some analysis leans too heavily on the influenza virus which peaks in winter, but most viruses are not as strictly seasonal as the flu. Some peak in spring, including most coronaviruses, and others in summer or autumn.

He said after the flu season there will be more data and any conclusions now would be speculative.

However, Prof Neuman highlighted that the similarity of symptoms between Covid-19 and flu could see an increase of negative coronavirus tests, giving the wrong impression the virus was decreasing.

He said: “A possible side-effect of flu and Covid-19 season is that since both diseases start off with similar symptoms, more people will be ill enough to seek Covid-19 testing.

“Paradoxically, an influx of people with the flu seeking Covid-19 tests could potentially drive down the percentage of positive tests, which would then misleadingly suggest that Covid-19 was decreasing.

“That is one reason why per cent positive rates should not be taken in isolation to monitor the pandemic.”