UK Schools Leverage Ventilation Measures to Mitigate Spread of Airborne Viruses
Good ventilation is crucial for maintaining healthy and productive indoor spaces, and it can help mitigate the risk of airborne viral transmission, including COVID-19. In most educational settings, such as schools, nurseries, and colleges, adequate ventilation can be achieved by simply opening windows and doors. However, in cases where this is not feasible, schools are advised to explore remedial works to improve ventilation.
Last year, the Department for Education (DfE) provided CO2 monitors to all state-funded schools and other childcare settings. These devices help assess the level of ventilation in their spaces and balance ventilation with thermal comfort during the winter months.
For settings unable to maintain adequate ventilation, the DfE offered funded air cleaning units while the underlying ventilation issue was addressed. The DfE also set up a marketplace to support settings in purchasing air cleaning units at competitive rates.
At the end of this initiative, the DfE distributed more than 386,000 CO2 monitors and over 8,000 air cleaning units to eligible settings.
In a survey conducted in January, 96% of the settings were using their monitors, and 95% of those were able to use them to identify when to increase ventilation. 12% of those using the monitors reported high CO2 readings of 1500ppm and above, most of which could be improved with quick fixes like opening windows. Settings with CO2 readings of 1500ppm or higher that could not be remedied via quick fixes were able to apply for DfE funded air cleaning units as a temporary mitigation measure.
In March, a survey was sent to 1,299 schools and other settings that had received DfE funded air cleaning units. The survey found that 79% of those who received air cleaning units were satisfied with them, and 60% planned to continue using them.
While the CO2 monitors and air cleaning units were initially made available in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, they will continue to play a key role in reducing infections and ensuring fewer pupils and staff have to miss school. Good ventilation not only decreases the spread of COVID-19 but also reduces the risk of airborne infection from other viruses like colds and flu.
