Gondolas hold less risk of Covid than small offices

10th February 2021, by Abi Butcher

Scientists measuring air quality in a gondola in the Swiss ski resort of Engelberg

A study recently conducted on lifts in the Swiss ski resort of Engelberg has found that skiers are 100 times less likely to catch Covid-19 on a 12-minute ride on a well-ventilated gondola than they are working in a small two-person office or a dinner with eight people in a room with closed windows.

The research, carried out by scientists at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) looked at the risks of airborne transmission of SARS-Cov-2 on different types of ski lifts.

Even in the largest cable car (50m3 for 80 passengers), air was exchanged 42 times per hour, 180 times an hour in a medium-sized gondola (40m3) and 138 times an hour in the smallest (5m3 gondola carrying eight people).

The figures stack up favourably compared to a railway carriage, for example, where air is only renewed about seven to 14 times an hour.

In an office, air is only renewed about twice an hour.

More good news for skiers keen to get back to the slopes.

To read the full study, visit empa.ch

Comparison of infection risks in three different situations. Credit: EMPA

• ski
• coronavirus
• covid
• gondola
• engleberg

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