Thread by @jheighton3

Let’s talk about ventilation for #bced schools. And @bcndp funding for it.

Ontario vs. BC, a case study.

@JM_Whiteside @jjhorgan @selinarobinson:
Are you going to let a Conservative gov’t show you up as misers? Or will @bcndp at least match their efforts? Read on.

A thread:

First, planning.

Ontario’s Ministry of Education has a *13 page* ventilation document, complete with funding, expectations & checklists.

@bcndp Maybe use this as a guide? ⬇️

efis.fma.csc.gov.on.ca/faab/Memos/B20…

Whereas BC has no ventilation document at all. Just a page in their “Communicable Disease Guidelines for K-12 Settings”, August 24, 2021.
Link:
www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/edu…

Compare the language used, Ontario to BC. Whose is closer to #COVIDisAirborne science?🤯

Photo of page:

Second, some pertinent facts for funding:

Ontario has more students in their #onted system. 1 extra grade, Junior Kindergarten. So 14 grades total.

BC has 13 grades, K-Grade 12. #bced

Ontario has *just over 2 million* Jr.K-Gr.12 students (latest #’s 2,056,058 students for 2019-20; each year fluctuates slightly).

BC has *563,514* K-Gr.12 students this year, 2021-22, according to BCCPAC/@bcndp stats.

Therefore #onted has 3.65 times #bced’s student population.

⬆️ was needed to figure out per-capita spending on ventilation:

Ontario spent just over $600 million on ventilation in last 2 yrs. BC is claiming $77.5 million in the same amount of time (vague on details though & never proven).

Remember that #onted is 3.65x #bced’s pop.

Therefore:
For BC to spend the *same amount* as Ontario, per student capita, BC needs to buck up $87 million *more*, just for ventilation. That’s MORE THAN DOUBLE what they claim to have spent.

What did Ontario spend it on? Read on…

The Ontario government has purchased over 70,000 HEPA air purifiers for schools. And some districts bought their own, last year, as well.

They bought many from austinair.ca . This was the unit many Ontario school districts received:

austinair.ca/collections/he…

That austinair.ca portable HEPA air cleaner is medical grade, rated for 1500 sq ft. (A typical classroom is 650-700 sq ft but has higher ceilings than a regular office or residential space). Probably perfect size then, which is why some Ontario schools have that model.

Why HEPA air purifiers?
See this study; universal masking vs. HEPA vs. both. Each by themselves help reduce transmission; but both together reduce 🦠 by 90%! (pre-delta)

Read what this bioaerosol researcher says (excellent threads embedded too):

https://twitter.com/huffmanlabdu/status/1410998986064863235

And check out this study: How much do open windows, masks and HEPA air cleaning reduce viral transmission in a classroom?

(No matter how much @CDCofBC claims that transmission was “low” last year, we all know that’s not true - see my 📌threads. “Low test, low cases” approach)

https://twitter.com/erictopol/status/1428776963829747712

So, what about costs? The supplier has told me that volume pricing for these units is less than $700 each, which is what Ontario schools got.

So if @bcndp spent the $87 million to *match* Ontario’s ventilation investment, that would buy about 125,000 portable HEPA purifiers!

125,000 portable HEPA air purifiers would allow EVERY #bced classroom to have one, plus have extras for gyms, libraries, music rooms, learning support rooms and more.

Having clean air is like having clean drinking water.

This is the new normal, @bcndp @JM_Whiteside @jjhorgan.

As for investment costs, think about this:

$700 is the same as a couple of staff sick days. Clean air prevents colds, flus and #COVID19. If a HEPA unit prevents just 2 sick days, it has paid for itself, while also keeping students safer, ALL YEAR.

Being proactive pays off.

Also consider:
- K-6 (7 out of 13 grades) are unvaccinated
- delta v highly transmissible; needs more measures
- K-3 no mask mandate
- K-12 lunch indoors, no 😷!
- 🥶winter w/ windows open

➡️ air filtration necessary.

Don’t wait until delta puts students in hospital, @bcndp.

Delta is as transmissible as chicken pox. #COVID19 has proven to harm multiple organs in many. Yet @JM_Whiteside is willing to “let it rip” through #bced? How many will get #LongCovidKids?

@bcndp, Doug Ford is doing more than you! At least *match* what they’ve done.
#KidsB4COVID

Correction: (wrong link above)
This ⬇️ is the specific HEPA air purifier that was purchased for many Ontario schools.

Note-It is being used to illustrate & provide a real life example for what other provinces are doing. Proof is always good!@joshpascoe

austinair.ca/collections/he…

Correction #2:

Link to 13 page Ontario Ministry of Education ventilation document: (hopefully it works this time!) ⬇️

efis.fma.csc.gov.on.ca/faab/Memos/B20…

Add on:
Read @DavidElfstrom’s important thread on ventilation & the article he contributed to in @TorontoStar. It shows where #onted schools are at, in mid-Aug, 2021, and describes challenges & improvements that should happen.

Eye-opening for #bced!

@JM_Whiteside
#KidsB4COVID

https://twitter.com/DavidElfstrom/status/1426885261267451910