A mechanical engineer explains why cruise lines are so prone to spreading the coronavirus and why hospital ships are safer

US Navy

• Outbreaks of COVID-19 on cruise lines like the Diamond Princess raise questions about how hospital ships will be any better at containing the novel coronavirus. 
• Two hospital ships are set to dock in New York and Los Angeles as US caseloads surge. 
• Mechanical engineer, Qinyang Chen, said that the ventilation systems onboard hospital ships make them equipped to contain the virus better than commercial cruise liners. 
• President Trump suggested that decommissioned cruise lines could be an additional asset if hospital ships aren't enough, which may be a viable option if ventilation issues are addressed, said Chen.
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Luxury cruise ships like Carnival Corporation's Diamond Princess have proven fertile ground for the spread of COVID-19. In contrast, two naval hospital ships —if operated with certain precautions — should safely halt transmission, says Qinyang Chen, a professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University.

The 1,000-bed floating hospitals are set to dock in New York and Los Angeles in the coming weeks. Chen told Business Insider that the two ships' air circulation systems are equipped to trap and eliminate virus particles, which didn't happen on the Diamond Princess.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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See Also:

• Why states like New York and Washington are limiting COVID-19 testing
• How to leave a coronavirus hotspot safely and reduce the risk of spreading the virus
• The US is running short on ventilators amid the coronavirus pandemic. Here's how they work and why they're so important.

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