Soon I’ll have no money left for #corsirosenthalboxes! Requests are coming in thick and fast, and soon I’m going to have to start saying “no”…
⁉️Got me thinking though: why the surge in interest…?
A thread 🧵 1/ gofund.me/3691a0c0
On 24th November 2022 (time stamping for future ref), the Department for Education (@educationgovuk) wrote to all their mailing list members (Local Authorities and signed-up schools). They stressed the importance of ventilation to tackle Covid and flu in schools this winter👇 2/
In this email, the DfE confirmed they are reopening their programme for FREE air cleaning units - which they endorse for classrooms where good ventilation has proven difficult to achieve. I think this is driving a renewed interest in clean air in schools
👇 3/
Firstly, it’s bizarre having experienced opposition to air filters (being told “the science isn’t there”) to full-blown endorsement by the DfE.
Secondly, it concerns me that this message hasn’t gone to *every* school (don’t worry I’ve forwarded it to as many HTs as I know!) 4/
⚠️ Strict eligibility criteria:
📌 School needs to prove sustained CO2 reading of 1,500ppm over 7 days
📌 If school can fix ventilation issue by March they’re not eligible
📌 Classroom MUST be occupied by 5 or more people (so no air filters for specialist classrooms) 5/
🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨Worth noting - the DfE is quite clear that air filters work against Covid, influenza, allergies, and asthma!
👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇6/
Back to eligibility: if a school fails to qualify for a free Air Cleaning Unit, they can always use their own budgets to buy from the Government’s marketplace. The 2 ACUs the DfE have endorsed for schools are rather expensive though👇 7/
👀 Take a look at air filters no.3 and 4 on the chart below - they’re the ones endorsed by the DfE. Look at their Clean Air Delivery Rate compared with the #corsirosenthalbox/@SmartairUk products. The DfE-endorsed units don’t appear to be, well, very good… 8/
TL;DR
🇬🇧 Dept for Education has:
⭐️ clearly stated the importance of ventilation and air cleaning this winter
⭐️ endorsed air filters as a means of removing viruses from the air
⭐️ reopened its FREE air filters programme (w strict criteria)
9/
So whilst I’m running out of money to keep offering free air filters, schools can DIY without me! All you need is:
WARM HUBS NEED FRESH AIR || @SomersetCouncil’s Public Health Department has published this ⭐️ outstanding ⭐️ poster for warm hub organisers in #Somerset. A thread 🧶 1/
✅ There is a clear message on ventilation, how to measure it, and when action is needed
UK GOES IT ALONE… (with 🇸🇪) || In September 2022 the @ECDC_EU published a detailed, country-by-country report on Covid vaccination strategies across Europe. The UK is doing it differently… A short thread 🧶 1/
First: see this map. UK is in grey because we’ve turned our backs on Europe - worse still, we’ve not just decided to go it alone geopolitically and economically but, it seems, medically as well👇 2/
…because, as of September, the Covid vaccine programme for children ended for those turning 5 from now on. They can’t get it unless clinically vulnerable or living with someone who is. This makes us an outlier in Europe where nearly everyone else is vaccinating ALL (bar 🇸🇪) 3/
As expected - now my campaign for clean air in #Somerset schools blows up (ha), I am coming under fire in all directions. Important, I think, to clarify a few things. A 🧵… gofund.me/3691a0c0
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1️⃣ It’s not “my idea” and I didn’t just make it up. I’m quite literally standing on the shoulders of giants. Namely doctors and scientists in the 🇺🇸 like @JimRosenthal4 and @CorsIAQ; as well as @rhysthomas, @PeteUK7 and others in the 🇬🇧
2/
Over the last few days I have faced some criticism for my Air Filters for #Somerset Schools campaign👇🏻 Please donate! 🙏🏻
One such criticism is that I should be raising money for more school resources as that’s a bigger priority (a🧵) 1/ gofund.me/3691a0c0
My response to this? Imagine a school didn’t have any fire extinguishers or fire alarms. It had them last year (and the year before), but it got rid of them this year because all the adults are fire-safety trained now anyway
2/
Now imagine there’s a fire. It’s only small, but it’s coming our way. Someone notices, and says we should probably get some fire blankets and extinguishers back in the classroom as a precaution
“No”, someone cries, “you shouldn’t do that until teachers are better paid.”
3/
🚨🚨🚨So, here it is folks. Please help me raise £13,500 to build HEPA air filters for every junior school and nursery setting in #CokerDivision that wants them👇🏻