How much does the air near the ceiling of the terminal actually help? If the virus particles instantly circulated evenly, then they would definitely help. On the other hand, if there isn’t much air current (as is the usual case in airport terminals) then the air near the ceiling is useless, since any virus particles would stay in the air near people’s mouths and noses.
The math might still work out in favor of the terminals, but I’m not convinced.
I agree that the degree of air circulation within the terminal is an important factor. I’m not certain that the terminal is safer than the plane, but I think more likely than not the terminal is safer.
This link from my previous comment is not exactly a peer reviewed article, but it suggests that the difference in air replacement rate in a well-ventilated versus poorly-ventilated space (the terms they use for mixture of the air, not for air change rate) is only about a factor of 3. Of course, there are different degrees of poor ventilation.
I would be really interested to hear the perspective of somebody with greater expertise in the relevant engineering and physics.
How much does the air near the ceiling of the terminal actually help? If the virus particles instantly circulated evenly, then they would definitely help. On the other hand, if there isn’t much air current (as is the usual case in airport terminals) then the air near the ceiling is useless, since any virus particles would stay in the air near people’s mouths and noses.
The math might still work out in favor of the terminals, but I’m not convinced.
I agree that the degree of air circulation within the terminal is an important factor. I’m not certain that the terminal is safer than the plane, but I think more likely than not the terminal is safer.
This link from my previous comment is not exactly a peer reviewed article, but it suggests that the difference in air replacement rate in a well-ventilated versus poorly-ventilated space (the terms they use for mixture of the air, not for air change rate) is only about a factor of 3. Of course, there are different degrees of poor ventilation.
I would be really interested to hear the perspective of somebody with greater expertise in the relevant engineering and physics.