Russian doctor Olga Berivalova announced that if an air conditioner is not cleaned regularly, it can lead to serious illness. The doctor indicates that dangerous bacteria proliferate in the filters of air conditioning units. This means that old air conditioners can become an ideal environment for the growth of pathogenic bacteria. Using these air conditioners can lead to legionellosis (legionnaire's disease), which resembles an upper respiratory tract infection and can sometimes cause severe pneumonia.
She states, "People who spend the entire summer in air-conditioned offices think they are sneezing and coughing due to viral infections or even the Omicron variant. However, in reality, the environment inside air conditioner filters is warm and humid, making it very suitable for the proliferation of Legionella bacteria. Therefore, uncleaned air conditioners release air saturated with this bacteria. Since the immune system levels vary from person to person, the spread of legionellosis is noticeable in the summer."
She adds that the best way to prevent this disease is to clean air conditioner filters regularly, which also includes air conditioners installed in cars.
