High-Rrise Ventilation Shaped COVID Spread, Study Finds

A 2020 outbreak in Santander’s seven-story building was likely driven by shared bathroom ventilation ducts, with virus-laden aerosols moving between vertically connected apartments. Researchers sequenced viruses to confirm links, monitored air flow and CO2 levels, and found infections only in units connected via the same shaft; blocked vents appeared protective. The findings underscore the risk of shared infrastructure in multi-unit housing and echo past scenarios like Amoy Gardens, prompting proactive ventilation safeguards in buildings.