Could air conditioning units be contributing to the spread of COVID-19? He's done in-depth research on how air conditioning units contribute to the spread of airborne infections. Nardell said air conditioning can help airborne viruses spread in three ways, according to a report by WFTS. The second problem is that air conditioning brings in very little outside air, according to Nardell. "You are not socially distanced as much, but you're re-breathing the same air that someone else just exhaled," Nardell said.