If you want to make schools safe now, we can't do any half measures. Here's what to do: 1. Rapid test everyone, every day. 2. Windows open as much as possible 3. HEPA filters in every classroom. Double/triple up if possible. Use CR boxes.
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4. HEPA filters near center of the room. Not in the corner. 5. Run the HEPA filters as high as possible. Not on low. 6. Everyone wears a respirator - N95 or KN95 7. Caretakers need to run ventilation checks every day.
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8. Get creative about eating without masks - use larger spaces with good ventilation: libraries, gyms, auditoriums or outdoors. Quiet lunches. 9. No removing masks indoors - frequent outdoor mask breaks. 10. Change schedule to have more recess and let room air out.
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A lot of these recommendations are inconvenient or difficult to implement. It's better than closing schools and it's better than forcing kids into unsafe environments. We can't have a normal school day right now if we want kids to be safe.
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Many are very worried about what's going to happen Monday. If you are sending your kid back to school, there are things that you can still do:
1. Ask the teacher to keep the windows open as much as possible.
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2. If there is a HEPA filter in the classroom, ask the teacher to move it closer to the center of the room and run it as fast as possible (noise permitting).
3. Ask the teacher if they can check the ventilation themselves:
Before checking, you need to find where the air is coming from. It's usually from a rectangular, circular or linear diffuser, or from a grill. Usually on the ceiling, but sometimes on a wall. Here are some examples.
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The air returns through a grill as well. It can look like these.
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1. LOOK AND LISTEN
I'm always looking up at the vents and listening when walking into a room. People think that's weird. Start doing that. You can usually hear the air moving. If you hear it turning on and off, you know it's not being run properly. It should always be on.
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#covidco2 HOW CAN CO2 MONITORING HELP IN SCHOOLS? 🧵
When humans breathe out, 4-5% is CO2. If you are in a poorly ventilated area, it builds up. Measuring CO2 in a room tells you how much air has already been breathed in.
COVID spreads by breathing in air that an infected person has breathed out. It makes sense to closely monitor the CO2 levels. Higher CO2 levels indicate a higher risk environment where you are more likely to get infected.
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If you are going to a public place with other people, you want to reduce your risk as much as possible. By monitoring the CO2 levels, you get a good assessment of your risk. If you are indoors with other people, it's best choose a place with lower CO2 levels.
Humidity control is one of the unused resources in air quality. However, it isn't something that can easily be used in the places where you would catch COVID, but it can be used in your home to prevent you from getting sick when you go out. Why?
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Your body has natural defense mechanisms to prevent catching airborne pathogens. Exposing yourself to very low humidity over long periods of time in the winter weakens this. This can be easily remedied by keeping your home at 40% relative humidity.
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In other words, having good humidity control in your home is actually a scientifically justified "immunity booster". It's very easy to run a humidifier and you will be healthier.
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