School ventilation concerns

School ventilation concerns

ARE CONTINUING TOPLEAD WITH SCHOOLDISTRICTS TO CHECKVENTILATIONSYSTEMS BEFOREREOPENING.POOR AIRCIRCULATION INAGING SCHOOLS,COULD PUTTEACHERS ANDSTUDENTS AT RISKFOR COVID.CHRIS CONTE TAKESA CLOSER LOOK ATSOLUTIONS SCHOOLSCAN TAKE ... SO KIDSCAN HEAD "SAFELYBACK TO SCHOOL."EMPTINESS ANDDARKNESS HAVECONSUMED THISNATION'S SCHOOLSFOR MONTHS.

BUT ASFALL APPROACHES, ITIS SHEDDING LIGHTON A PROBLEMDECADES IN THEMAKING.

I'MCONCERNED, IUNDERSTAND WHYANXIETY IS HIGH DR.JOSEPH ALLENOVERSEES THEHEALTH BUILDINGSPROGRAM ATHARVARDUNIVERSITY.

MONTHSAGO HE STARTEDSOUNDING THEALARM ABOUT POORVENTILATIONSYSTEMS PLAGUINGSCHOOLSNATIONWIDE.

WE'VECHRONICALLYUNDERINVESTED INOUR SCHOOLBUILDINGSNATIONALLY, 90PERCENT OFSCHOOLS AREUNDER-VENTILATED.NOT A GREAT THINGBEFORE THEPANDEMIC ... BUTNOW, POOR AIRCIRCULATION COULDHELP SPREAD COVID.DR. ALLEN ISPLEADING WITHSCHOOLS TOADDRESSVENTILATION BEFOREREOPENING.

WHAT'SHAPPENING INCLASSROOMSDEPENDS ON THEACTION WE TAKE ORDON'T TAKE TO HELPGUIDE SCHOOLS,HARVARD CREATED ARISK REDUCTIONSSTRATEGIES REPORT.FOR SCHOOLS THATCAN'T AFFORD TOUPGRADE THEIRVENTILATIONSYSTEMS, OR DON'THAVE TIME,PORTABLE AIRCLEANERS CAN HELP.DR. ALLEN SAYS APORTABLE AIRCLEANER WITH AHEPPA FILTER IS KEY.IN A CLASSROOMWHERE VENTILATIONIS POOR, CHANGINGTHE AIR OUT FIVETIMES PER HOUR ...MEANS AIR IN THEROOM CAN BECLEANED EVERY 12MINUTES.

EVENOPENING WINDOWSHELPS.

LAST WEEK,HARVARD EVENRELEASED AN AIRCLEANERCALCULATOR.

ITALLOWS SCHOOLOFFICIALS TO INPUTTHE SIZE OFCLASSROOM, EVENCEILING HEIGHT.THEN ITRECOMMENDS THEKIND OF AIR CLEANERTHAT WOULD BESAFEST.

IF YOU HAVELOWER VENTILATIONYOU SHOULDINCREASE THEAMOUNT OFFILTRATION, IF YOUHAVE GOODVENTILATION YOUDON'T NEED AS MUCHFILTRATIONMOVEMENT OF AIRYES, MOVEMENT ISHUGE DEANNAADKINSON'SENGINEERING FIRMHAS BEEN HELPINGSCHOOL DISTRICTSASSES THE QUALITYOF THEIR AIR FLOWSYSTEMS. WHATTHEY'VE FOUND ISALARMING.

SOMESCHOOLS HAVEN'THAD AIR FILTERSUPGRADED INDECADES.

000118JUST FROM WALKINGAROUND SOME OFTHE OLDER SCHOOLSTHEY AREN'T EVENMEETING CODERIGHT NOW AS FARAS VENTILATIONGOES AND THERE'SPLENTY OF REASONFOR ALARM.

TAKETHIS VIRAL PHOTOFROM GEORGIAWHERE STUDENTSARE CRAMMED INTOA HALLWAY.

ANOUTBREAK HAS NOWBEEN REPORTEDTHERE ..

ON THEFIRST WEEK OFSCHOOL.

IF YOULOOK AT THE CASESOF SPREAD INSCHOOL RIGHT NOW,THEY ALL SHARECOMMON TRAITS, IT'SNO MASK WEARINGAND LOW TO NOVENTILATIONKEEPING THE AIRCLEAR IN THENATION'S SCHOOLS,NOW MOREIMPORTANT THANEVER.

I'M CHRISCONTE REPORTING.HARVARD PUTTOGETHER A LIST OF20 QUESTIONSPARENTS SHOULDANSWER BEFORESENDING THEIR KIDSBACK TO SCHOOL.AMONG THE TOPTHREE: ARE THENUMBER OF CASES INTHE AREA LOWENOUGH FORSCHOOLS TOREOPEN?WHEN AND HOWWILL MASKS BEREQUIRED AND HOWWILL THE SCHOOLSUPPORT MASK USE?AND WILL HANDWASHING STATIONSOR HAND SANITIZERBE AVAILABLETHROUGHOUT THESCHOOL, AND WHENWILL CHILDREN BEREQUIRED TO WASH