5 Comments
Jun 27Liked by Maxim Lott

> Before businesses, hospitals, etc, will pay money to set up good ventilation, their executives need to know that it works. It also helps if customer know, and can prefer to go places with ventilation.

In regard to restaurants and other places where people gather voluntarily, the businesses will pay money to set up good ventilation only if something forces them to. I gather that the cost is not insignificant -- the faster you turn over the air, the more you have to pay to heat/cool it. There have been sporadic press reports of retail businesses being strongly opposed to any legal standards for ventilation. And it's difficult for the patrons to judge whether a place has better ventilation or worse.

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Jun 3Liked by Maxim Lott
author

Thanks for sharing! I've updated the post based on this, writing:

"Update: Commenter Milli notes that there is a small randomized trial showing no effect. Then again, a LessWrong poster notes that the trial used zinc lozenges mixed with “ … mannitol. And mannitol is one of the things mentioned by some studies as blocking zinc’s action.” Anyway, the published evidence is conflicted."

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There are other benefits to ventilation if you consider off-gassing which is unfortunately common in newer built housing/apartments in the US.

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Interesting. Can you explain more?

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