This was actually the solution in some cities to pandemics of the early 20th century: Overzealous heating and open windows, even in the winter. You can read more about this at the link below, but basically the old furnaces that many New Yorkers complain about have their source from a time when health officials were fighting the Spanish Flu and recommended people keep their windows open. These steam furnaces put out an obnoxious amount of heat to overcompensate for people leaving their windows open all the time. (Also look up "New York City steam system" for interesting stuff about the big steam delivery system in New York City. Moscow has one, too!)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-05/the-curio...