People who adhere to health guidelines are more likely to contract coronavirus while visiting a restaurant than taking an elevator, Judy Marks, CEO of Otis Worldwide, told CNBC’s Jim Cramer on Monday.
“As long as people follow different instructions, they can lower the risks. We still want people to wear masks like everywhere else,” she said in an appearance on “Mad Money”. “Wear them in your elevators, and the analysis, data, and science show you are less at risk than eating outside, much closer to grocery shopping.”
Marks made the comment after reviewing the results of a three-month study by researchers at Purdue University examining how airflow in elevators affects exposure to the novel virus. Data from the study commissioned by Otis, a leading manufacturer of elevators and escalators, published last week.
Dr. Study led by Qingyan Chen from Purdue looked at the risks of coronavirus transmission during a two-minute elevator ride. Elevator ventilation standards combined with wearing masks can reduce the risk of exposure by 50%, while air purification can reduce the risk by an additional 20% or more, according to a press release.
Compared to the time public transit passengers or workers spend at work, elevator drivers have a lower risk profile, Chen said in a statement.
“What most people don’t know, Jim, is that the elevator isn’t a closed box, which is more important, and more importantly, the code,” said Marks, whose company announced it would sponsor the research back in August . “There is an amazing amount of ventilation in every elevator in the world.”
Otis shares were down 0.15% despite the company posting quarterly results that beat analysts’ estimates. In the fourth quarter, Otis had sales of $ 3.49 billion, up 4% from the year-ago quarter, and earnings per share of 66 cents versus 47 cents.
Otis shares closed at $ 64.55 on Monday. Since the beginning of the year, the share has fallen by more than 4%.
The company is a spin-off of United Technologies Corporation.
Comments are closed.