Thread by @Orla_Hegarty

🧵 #Covid19 Lots of questions about #schools, so…

#1 VENTILATION is very important, we need oxygen to function. Even before Covid, stuffy classrooms meant sleepy children, poor learning & more illness. DO NOT seal up rooms

#2 FILTRATION is another layer of protection & ...

.. & may mean that a higher reading on a CO2 monitor is ok

CO2 monitors measure ventilation, not filtration

When a room has filtration it may still have stale stuffy air ..but it’s stale stuffy air that’s had virus removed by a filter (as happens on aircraft)

Here’s a guide:

#3 but WHICH filtration? There are different approaches, both valid:

*crisis action, act fast, take what’s available, quick impact
OR
*long term investment, take care, get it right, more impact (but not yet)

Personally, I favour immediate impact because health trumps money

#4 AIR CLEANING

What’s recommended most is basic low-tech, cheap-as-chips, can’t-go-wrong filtration. That’s a fan (to pull air) + a filter (to catch particles)

AVOID ionisers, ozone, ‘electronics’ & ‘plasma’ that may not be effective & could cause harm

#5 HOW MUCH filtration/ventilation?

Currently >1 in 50 primary school children had a + PCR in last 2 weeks, so almost every class has an infectious child (statistically)
In these conditions we need EVERYTHING
😷 masks
🪟 ventilation
♻️filtration
👨‍🏫 management
🧠 common sense

#6 BLINDSPOTS

Outside the class, the high-risk pinch points need very careful attention

⛹🏽‍♀️🗣🎺PE, singing & wind instruments are high risk, move outside

* lunch (masks off) should be outside, or well spaced (use halls & corridors), or not face-to-face & silent (show a video)

#7 TRANSPORT to/from school may be he highest risk of day

🚘 crack open windows on 2 sides, switch car fan to fresh air (not recirculation) & wear masks

🚌 open windows or roof vent where available, run fans on full fresh air, wear masks & spread out

#8 TOILETS, locker rooms, store rooms, corridors, lifts & break-rooms

Covid can linger in the air for hours in EMPTY rooms in certain conditions

Ventilate these spaces well.. & wear a mask everywhere indoors in the current very high-risk conditions

School safety videos here: gospeakupamerica.com/deltaschools

Filtration advice, tools & mask info here: cleanaircrew.org

FAQs here: docs.google.com/document/u/2/d…

HEPA thread here:

https://twitter.com/orla_hegarty/status/1461400699296788487?s=21