Hmmm, wondering if this colder weather (it's REALLY cold where I'm at in the Southern U.S.) could be related to the virus-- specifically the reduction of emissions tied to less travel and work. The skies here have been beautifully clear with no usual haze, haze that I now link to jet airplanes. Could it be the atmosphere can cool more efficiently at night without the blanket effect caused by global flights?
And Angela, may I ask the age of your son's co-workers? I feel bad for their wives and families.
The two men were late forties, 49 I think, and 55. My son worked with their wives, who probably brought it home, because the husbands weren't in an "essential" industry. The wives did get ill, but mildly, while the husbands died. The one in his forties left young children, but both were fathers. It's just desperately sad.
Both were also South Asians, and now a Chinese man has tested positive and is home in isolation.
Studies coming out of England with its huge South Asian descended population do show that both South Asians and East Asians are more susceptible to contracting it and to severe illness. It's not by a huge margin, but there is indeed a difference. It's even more true for African descended people.
With South Asians, they have really high percentages of diabetes, and they also live in large extended families. I don't know if these particular men had that or other commodities, but I know grandparents and aunts were living in the home.
I'm of course worried for my son. I comfort myself with the thought that they first became ill six wees ago or more, with first the wives being sent home, then the husband's becoming ill, and then spending a month in ICU wards, so it was before everyone started wearing a mask.
I went on and on about the efficacy of masks, even on here, when the WHO and even the CDC said not to wear them, but my son didn't listen. Well, he wears one now.
Other than the disinfection techniques of hands and surfaces, and masks, my take away has been that the circulation of pure, fresh air is key in all of this, so although it's still so unseasonably cold for May, at least one window is partially open in every room. Any complaints and I tell them to put on a heavy sweater and socks.
We also bought some air purifying units with HEPA filters for my son's apartment and the kitchen/family room. I'm not too confident in them, however, because the range in square footage isn't great.
For the long term we have to look into how much it would cost to install UV lights and other disinfection properties to the ducts.
This may be all wrong, given that the science keeps changing, but it's what I've concluded from the data so far.