Tamil Nadu's response to the handling of the Coronavirus pandemic has been quite well with the state leading in the number of recoveries, 866, as per the latest data of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, although this is not indicative of the percentage of infections but merely going by the number of persons cured and discharged. Tamil Nadu is followed by Delhi at 857 recoveries followed by Maharashtra at 840.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government has imposed complete lockdown in five of its cities - Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Salem and Tiruppur – starting April 26 until April 29. This move led to some panic buying at a few places, report news outlets.
In related news, the centre has released guidelines for use of air conditioners in these times. The Centre advised that an ideal temperature to keep the AC should be between 24-30 degree centigrade. Also, the relative humidity must remain between 40-70 per cent. These guidelines were compiled by the Indian Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air Conditioner Engineers (ISHRAE) and were later shared by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD).
As per the documents, it suggested that "Recirculation of cool air by room air conditioners must be accompanied by outdoor air intake through slightly open windows and exhaust. While, in dry climates do not allow the relative humidity to fall below 40 percent. Water evaporating from a pan kept in the room will increase humidity if it falls below 40 per cent," the documents said.
The advisory committee also suggested that the rooms should be kept ventilated as much as possible even when ACs are not running. "As an extra precaution the frequency of service can be increased. If an exhaust fan is located nearby then it can also be switched on to exhaust air for better ventilation."
