Thread by @MoNscience

NYC Approves 4,000 Classrooms For In-Person Schooling Despite Unreliable Ventilation

Part 2 of our look at the city's back-to-school COVID precautions...

✍️: @clewisreports for @WNYC / @Gothamist
gothamist.com/news/nyc-appro…

Looking through building surveys conducted by NYC's Department of Education, @jeffwilen found thousands of classrooms have been cleared for occupancy despite relying exclusively on functioning windows for ventilation.

She even made an interactive map.🙏🙌
gothamist.com/news/nyc-appro…

@jeffwilen Got interrupted mid-thread. Dang work. Let's continue.

Aerosol scientists would probably raise their eyebrows at this part about the classrooms "relying exclusively on functioning windows for ventilation"...
gothamist.com/news/nyc-appro…

We write this for 2 reasons

1. @jeffwilen sifted through the DOE's data & found all the "operational" classrooms with only windows, no functioning [window] exhaust fans nor [HVAC] unit ventilators.

2. The city invested in air purifiers for its classrooms that lack HEPA filters.

The CDC's guidance repeatedly calls for the use of portable air purifiers with ***HEPA*** filters in schools and other buildings.

Moreover, the CDC states that ***non-HEPA*** purifiers should be clearly labeled...
cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…

cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…

.@NYCSchools has purchased 2 Intellipure air purifiers for every classroom. It has described these devices as "HEPA purifiers," both in its back-to-school handbook (schools.nyc.gov/docs/default-s…) and in correspondence.

As we report, Intellipure air purifiers do NOT have HEPA filters.

Dr. Richard Corsi (@DeanMCECSPSU) studies indoor air quality as the dean of the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science at Portland State University

He said purifiers w/o HEPA filters are “largely unproven, and that’s the kindest I could be.” gothamist.com/news/nyc-appro…

Moreover, an independent study of the Intellipure devices by the Illinois Institute of Technology found that it would rank ninth out of 12 products they’ve tested this year in terms air changes per hour (what you need to ventilate a room).
gothamist.com/news/nyc-appro…

I've now learned (h/t @didactickatydid) that **a high school paper** in Queens (@thhsclassic) posed similar questions abt @NYCSchools' Intellipure air purifiers.

DOE responded that its purifiers meet CDC guidance/HEPA levels.

Here's how CDC responded: thhsclassic.com/2021/08/31/the…

A quick pause to applaud, @thhsclassic. Strong work, fam!

I came for the fact check on DOE. I stayed for the description of electrostatic precipitation thhsclassic.com/2021/08/31/the…

Now, I'm threading all of this (instead of relaxing with an episode of BIP) for two reasons:

1. Schools Chancellor Porter is holding a press avail tomorrow where journalists can visit a handpicked school to see safety measures, "with an emphasis on ventilation."

Note: The Chancellor will not be available for Q&A.

2. DOE has been chirping at me ALL DANG DAY with the same exact talking points.

Note: We gave them ample time to respond to both of our stories, contacting them as early as ::checks notes:: Thursday of last week.

Here's Part 1 from Mon. Time for BIP!