In order to identify an indoor thermally comfortable environment for older people, this study examined the thermal acceptance of 384 older people of ages from 60 to 97 years under various thermal environmental conditions in 19 centers for older people in Hong Kong. The results were compared to those of the younger residents in Hong Kong. A probable decay of one predicted mean vote (PMV) for every 25.3 years was reported for older people beyond the age of 60 years ( p ≤ 0.05), which indicated that the older age group probably has a different expectation of a thermoneutral environment as compared with younger age groups. It was also noted that the expected PMV for a thermoneutral environment of older females was apparently higher than that for older males in the same age group. The results should be a useful reference for an acceptable thermally comfortable environment in centers for older people up to the age group over 90 years.

Aerial dispersion of human exhaled microbial contaminants and subsequent contamination of surfaces is a potential route for infection transmission in hospitals. Most general hospital wards have ventilation systems that drive air and thus contaminants from the patient areas towards the corridors. This study investigates the transport mechanism and deposition patterns of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) within a typical six bedded general inpatient ward cubicle through numerical simulation. It demonstrates that both air change and exhaust airflow rates have significant effects on not only the airflow but also the particle distribution within a mechanically ventilated space. Moreover, the location of an infected patient within the ward cubicle is crucial in determining the extent of infection risk to other ward occupants. Hence, it is recommended to provide exhaust grilles in close proximity to a patient, preferably above each patient’s bed. To achieve infection prevention and control, high exhaust airflow rate is also suggested. Regardless of the ventilation design, all patients and any surfaces within a ward cubicle should be regularly and thoroughly cleaned and disinfected to remove microbial contamination. The outcome of this study can serve as a source of reference for hospital management to better ventilation design strategies for mitigating the risk of infection.