tdgeek:

 

Buster:

 

I'm no HVAC engineer either but I would be extremely surprised is simple economics didn't sway with modifying existing buildings (hotels) to compartmentalise HVAC systems (Govt picking up the tab) as opposed to building purpose designed brand new facilities from the ground up.

 

 

Where do they go if hotels are ruled out? What large buildings don't use HVAC?

 

HVAC is just an acronym for Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning.

I don't know much about it either, but would seem to me that any system that pumped warm or cool air into a room from a central system would be risky as it's creating positive pressure in the rooms which could end up blown into hallways, under doors etc. A standard heat pump just recirculates air in a room, thus not expelling air which may contain the virus and the constant circulation probably helps keep particles suspended, some escapes every time the door is opened.  I'd think ideally you'd want to create just a little bit of negative pressure in rooms, but where this air is vented outdoors is a problem unless it's adequately filtered. Hospitals have negative ventilation rooms (not just full isolation rooms/wards), the patients aren't left to freeze or cook when the room is running in negative pressure mode.  So it's not as if there's a technical barrier, it's been a normal enough thing for a long time, but retrofitting to make something "bulletproof" from a hotel might be a huge problem.