1 in 5

Irish children affected by asthma

in schools

OPEN WINDOWS

Schools entirely dependent on natural ventilation, in Irish weather.

An outlier in the EU

from asthma in children and young people

Elsewhere, things were different.

Schools in countries including Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark already had mechanical ventilation systems in substantial parts of their school building stock. Finnish classroom research found that only schools with mechanical supply-and-exhaust ventilation achieved the recommended rate of 6 L/s per person. In North America, many US and Canadian schools also had existing HVAC systems that could be upgraded — as Washington, DC did in 2020.

Then a new respiratory virus arrived.

They said “COVID-19 is not airborne.”

WHO’s March 2020 scientific brief said COVID-19 was primarily transmitted through respiratory droplets and contact routes, with airborne precautions focused on aerosol-generating medical procedures.

239 scientists challenged the prevailing guidance.

Lidia Morawska, Donald Milton and 237 other scientists called on health authorities to recognise the potential for airborne spread and recommended measures including general ventilation and high-efficiency air filtration.

If the virus was in the air, the air in buildings mattered.

We campaigned for the best HEPA filters to be made standard in all classrooms:

DC public schools