As parents, we are all concerned about the air quality in our children’s schools.
This includes the transmission of viruses and particularly SARS-CoV-2.
Here is a summary of the study conducted by medRyxiv (Published August 29, 2021) on the transmission of SARS-Cov-2 aerosols in schools
and the effectiveness of different interventions.
This comforts us in the fact that the best way to fight against the transmission of covid (and any type of virus)
and to combine several measures : Natural ventilation, wearing a mask and air filtration (thanks to air purifiers)
Indoor aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has been widely recognized, particularly in schools where children remain in closed indoor spaces and largely unvaccinated.
Measures such as strategic natural ventilation and high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration remain poorly implemented, and mask mandates are often phased out as vaccination rollout is improved.
We adapted a previously developed aerosol transmission model to study the effect of interventions (natural ventilation, face masks, HEPA filtration and their combinations) on the concentration of viral particles in a 160 m 3 classroom containing an individual infectious. The cumulative dose of virus absorbed by the exposed occupants was calculated.
The most effective single intervention was natural ventilation by fully opening six windows all day during winter (14-fold decrease in cumulative dose), followed by universal use of surgical masks (8-fold decrease ).
In spring/summer, natural ventilation was effective (≥2-fold decrease) only when windows were fully open all day.
In winter, partially opening two windows all day or fully opening six windows at the end of each lesson was also found to be effective (≥2 times less).
Opening windows during yard and lunch breaks had only a minimal effect (≤1.2-fold decrease).
One HEPA filter was as effective as two windows partially open all day during winter (2.5-fold decrease) while two filters were more effective (4-fold decrease).
Combined interventions (ie, natural ventilation, masks, and HEPA filtration) were the most effective (≥30-fold decrease). The combined interventions remained very effective in the presence of a super-spreader.
Natural ventilation, face masks, and HEPA filtration are effective interventions to reduce aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
These measures should be combined and complemented with additional interventions (e.g. physical distancing, hygiene, testing, contact tracing and vaccination) to maximize benefits.
See the full study here
Schools and the Covid! As parents, we are all concerned about the air quality in our children’s schools.This includes the transmission of viruses and particularly
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