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Alex Huffman, Ph.D. Profile picture
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Oct 7 • 4 tweets • 3 min read
Important article by @PatriciaFabianS & @jonlevyBU: investment in improving school air quality is critical.

Adds to reminder by @IAQinGWN at #AAAR2022 yesterday that investing in filtration can realize $10-100 return per $ spent e.g. via ⬇️ absences.
theconversation.com/investing-in-i…
Well-maintained HVAC filters or portable air cleaners can “also clean the air of pollen particles, mold spores & pollution from car exhaust and industrial operations. And in areas where wildfires are common, filters reduce the concentration of smoke particles inside buildings.”
[In schools that increase ventilation rate] “For kids and school staff, particularly those with asthma, allergies and sensitivities, this can mean fewer missed days of school, less medication, and fewer asthma attacks and subsequent trips to the hospital.”
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/in…
The points about improving ventilation are sometimes (recently) focused on reducing COVID transmission. But as @PatriciaFabianS & @jonlevyBU remind, it’s SO much more! See the links.

“Improved ventilation can actually increase learning and attention. …”
Improved ventilation can actually increase learning and atte

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More from @HuffmanLabDU

Alex Huffman, Ph.D. Profile picture
Sep 11
Sadly, our family’s 2 1/2 year undefeated streak against COVID is broken. My wife tested positive & is sick.

Negative RATs for us so far. While we may get it, we’re not laying down the fight. I’m still hopeful! We’re in a privileged situation to put these plans in place (1/x):
2/
 ✅ She is isolated in basement: negative pressure w/ bathroom vent & a fan blowing out window (no air back to house)
✅ Distanced outdoor interaction, w/ her in N95 when briefly interacting indoors or closer outside
✅ HEPA & CR Box filters in her room & around rest of house
3/ Our house is now basically a wind tunnel of open windows & air cleaners in an effort to sweep out any viral aerosol that escapes her room.

I feel good about our chances to avoid exposure, but I’m still wearing my N95 around kids & in public since I had most exposure w/ her.
Read 6 tweets
Alex Huffman, Ph.D. Profile picture
Aug 19
We Need to Improve Indoor Air Quality: Here’s How and Why, by @tanyalewis314

@CorsIAQ: The average U.S. lifespan before the pandemic was about 79 years, and “we spend 69 years inside buildings.” Of that, Corsi notes, “54 years are spent inside of homes.”
scientificamerican.com/article/we-nee…
"We spend 90% of our lives indoors, yet most of us seldom spare a thought for the quality of the air we breathe there": @tanyalewis314

@CorsIAQ: We spend a greater % of time indoors than whales spend below the ocean surface. 🤯
➡️
“As we start to shift away from these broad gov't mandates & regulations, we need strategies … operating in the background,” @j_g_allen says. “Clean air shouldn’t be partisan.”

“This is a huge equity issue. Not everyone can open the windows & bring in fresh air”: @kprather88
Read 4 tweets
Alex Huffman, Ph.D. Profile picture
Aug 18
"Indoor Air Management of Airborne Pathogens: Lessons, Practices, and Innovations" eventbrite.com/e/indoor-air-m…

Workshop by @theNASEM focusing on the current state of knowledge ➡️ practical lessons learned. Session 1 starting now.

Live-tweets below
#EHMI #NASEM #EnviroHealthMatters
2/ @Don_Milton summarizes evidence that saliva PCR much better at catching COVID positive cases than PCR from nasal swabs.
3/ @Don_Milton: It's the *combination* of masks, ventilation, filtration that can dramatically reduce spread
Read 65 tweets
Alex Huffman, Ph.D. Profile picture
Jul 6
A family emergency means I’m flying today for the first time since 2019. Fortunately I’ve got my N95 to reduce my inhaled dose as much as possible + my CO2 meter to gauge air.

Short 🧵 to occupy me while on a layover.

The CO2 was nicely & low in the Shreveport, LA airport (1/x)
2/ On this tiny United commuter flight, 45 minute flight time from Shreveport to Houston, no one with N95 masks. Maybe 2 w/ surgical masks.

Boarding & taxi process, the #AirplaneCO2 briefly peaked at 1600 ppm, but mostly in 1100 range. Obviously higher than ideal, but not bad.
3/ Cruising (if you call it that for just a few minutes) was still in the 1000 - 1200 ppm range. At that upper level, roughly 2% of the air is likely rebreathed from others on board. But the ventilation is also filtering resp. particles from background air relatively frequently.
Read 23 tweets
Alex Huffman, Ph.D. Profile picture
Apr 4
Excellent OpEd by @linseymarr & @jljcolorado on the early and persistent confusion around the word "airborne" wrt the pandemic. It's a short overview on the effects of these miscomms across medical & disciplinary boundaries.
Some salient quotes, links (1/)
time.com/6162065/covid-…
2/ “This fundamental misunderstanding of the virus disastrously shaped the response during the first few months of the pandemic & continues to this day. We still see it now in the surface cleaning protocols that many have kept in place even while walking around without masks. …”
3/ “… There is a key explanation for this early error. In hospitals, the word “airborne” is associated w/ a rigid set of protective methods, incl. the use of N95 respirators by workers and negative pressure rooms for patients. These are resource-intensive and legally required.”
Read 11 tweets
Alex Huffman, Ph.D. Profile picture
Jan 14
CDC came out with another incremental update on #mask & #respirator guidance today: cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…

Clarifies N95s aren't in short supply & can be worn again!

It's still not perfect, but it feels like we're at least inching in the right direction. Some thoughts via a🧵.
2/ New statement that most respirators (i.e. #N95s) "are disposable and should be discarded WHEN they are dirty, damaged, or difficult to breathe through."

So you CAN #ReuseN95s‼️
See, e.g.:

That's *much* better guidance than to toss after a single use!
3/ Also clearly states that:
"Loosely woven cloth products provide the least protection ... and well-fitting NIOSH-approved respirators (including #N95s) offer the highest level of protection."

YES!!
Read 15 tweets

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