The epidemiology of the common cold. III. The effect of ventilation, air disinfection and room size.

Abstract

Mechanical ventilation at 7 air changes/hr., air disinfection using vaporized hexyl resorcinol or α-hydroxy-α-methyl butyric acid, or irradiation of the air of the room above 8 ft. with ultraviolet radiation when applied to various clerical offices did not result in any observed alteration in the numbers of colds experienced by those working in them.There were no differences in the numbers of colds experienced by those working in rooms of different sizes. The working population in these rooms varied from, about 20 to more than 80.We should like to express our thanks to the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance and to the Shell Petroleum Company, to those members of their staffs and to the nurses and others who helped us in this investigation. We should also like to thank the Shell Petroleum Company for the supply of α-hydroxy-α-methyl butyric acid, and the British Thomson Houston Company of Rugby for the loan of the ultraviolet lamp fittings.