St Kitts and Nevis: Wear face masks in air conditioned rooms, recommend Dr Wilkinson

Chief of staff at Joseph N. France hospital advised the general public to wear face masks and allow for periodic ventilation in air-conditioned rooms.

Monday, 31st January 2022

St Kitts and Nevis: Wear face masks in air conditioned rooms, recommend Dr Wilkinson

Chief of staff at Joseph N. France hospital advised the general public to wear face masks and allow for periodic ventilation in air-conditioned rooms. He recommended the measures to overcome the transmission of coronavirus in confined spaces. Dr Wilkinson was speaking at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) COVID-19 briefing on January 26. "I am not saying that one should not use an air-conditioned unit, but people should be wearing their masks, they should be trying to stay as spaced apart as possible, and make every effort to bring fresh air in from time to time," Dr Wilkinson said a poorly ventilated, enclosed environment is more likely to spread COVID-19. In an enclosed, poorly ventilated setting, the risk is more significant because the released aerosols can remain suspended in the air for an extended period of time if you are not wearing a mask. Dr Wilkinson stated that for the most part, wall-mounted air-conditioning units are designed to cool rather than circulate air and bring in the fresh air, so most of them cool the air." You should open the door every hour or two when you open it to allow fresh air to enter an enclosed area if you are using a wall unit, he advised.