Schools that have not invested in these steps should do so, with states providing funding to lower-resourced districts as needed. ![]() If you’ve ever felt that it was hard to concentrate in a hot, stuffy room, the science backs you up.įor now, we recommend that schools that have put improvements in place should maintain increased ventilation rates with maximum fresh air, continue to use high-efficiency filters in their HVAC systems and keep free-standing filters running in classrooms. And a 2018 analysis showed that students’ performance on school tests declined on hot days, especially in schools without air conditioning. Poor ventilation may also affect teachers: A 2016 study found that office workers’ cognitive performance improved when they were exposed to lower carbon dioxide levels, which is a marker of better ventilation. Improved ventilation can actually increase learning and attention.Ī 2010 study showed that kids performed better on standardized tests when ventilation rates were higher.Īlso Read | Viral infections including COVID are among the important causes of dementia This dilutes all indoor pollutants.įor kids and school staff, particularly those with asthma, allergies and sensitivities, this can mean fewer missed days of school, less medication, and fewer asthma attacks and subsequent trips to the hospital. Schools with mechanical ventilation have been able to increase the amount of filtered fresh air that these systems pull indoors. And in areas where wildfires are common, filters reduce the concentration of smoke particles inside buildings. They also clean the air of pollen particles, mold spores and pollution from car exhaust and industrial operations. And their benefits extend beyond COVID-19, so they should not be discarded.įor example, high-efficiency filters – including commercial units, DIY boxes or filters with ratings of MERV-13 for HVAC systems – capture flu and common cold viruses as well as SARS-CoV-2 virus particles. ![]() These actions are a drop in the bucket, given the structural improvements needed in many schools, especially in less wealthy school districts, but they are an important start. Since the spring of 2020, schools have invested millions of dollars in interventions to reduce COVID-19 transmission, including high-efficiency, free-standing commercial filter units and ventilation upgrades. Where should they start? Here are some priorities we see for immediate action and longer-term investments that can truly transform the school experience. Many school districts have limited resources and buildings in poor condition. There is ample evidence that smart investments in school buildings can reduce transmission of infectious disease, while also improving learning and increasing well-being for students, teachers and administrators. Our research focuses on indoor environments and health – an area that has received increased attention during the pandemic, since most COVID-19 transmission occurs through shared air indoors. So do cold classrooms.Īlso Read | Austerity led to twice as many excess U.K. Hot, stuffy classrooms make it harder for students to learn. This is especially important given the learning losses that many children experienced in the first two years of the pandemic. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s August 2022 COVID-19 guidance for schools, which scales back other measures for limiting transmission, such as masking, testing and quarantining.īeyond minimizing COVID-19 transmission, indoor air quality also matters for student academic performance. ![]() This is especially problematic in the wake of the U.S. Sadly, this is not the case – and indoor air quality in many schools is poor as a result. Ideally, all school buildings would have adequate ventilation, filtered air in each classroom and windows that open. ![]() As fall temperatures cool across the U.S., many schools will struggle to ventilate classrooms while also keeping students and teachers comfortable and healthy.Ĭhildren and teachers spend over six hours a day in classrooms during the school year, often in buildings that are decades old and have inadequate heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, systems.įall 2022 marks the start of the fourth school year affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has spotlighted the importance of indoor air quality in schools.
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