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Aditi Tandon
Tribune press service
New Delhi, August 21
Vaccination against Covid-19 by itself may not ensure safety in workplaces and schools, unless air filtration and indoor ventilation are part of the building design, according to one. new research as nations unlock and kids return to school.
Published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the research calls on governments to change the design of buildings by fixing the air changes per hour (a measure of the ventilation of the room with air outdoor) and air filtration objectives for indoor spaces such as schools.
The authors say the majority of outbreaks involving three or more people have been linked to time spent indoors, and evidence has confirmed that remote airborne transmission (defined as in the room but beyond 6 feet) of SARS -CoV-2 occurs. “Controlling the concentration of indoor respiratory aerosols to reduce the transmission of infectious agents in the air is essential and can be achieved through source control (masking, physical distancing) and engineering controls (ventilation and filtration)”, indicates research.
“To reduce the airborne transmission of the virus from a distance in small indoor spaces (classrooms, retail stores, etc.), we suggest targeting 4 to 6 air changes per hour with any combination. of outdoor air ventilation ”, recommend the authors.
They argue with the unknown dose response of the Covid vaccine and the debate over the dominant mode of transmission is still ongoing, with evidence supporting engineered solutions if countries start opening offices and schools again.
34,457 new cases
TOTAL DEATHS 4 33 964
ACTIVE CASES 3.61.340
375 dead in 24 hours
Vax alone is not enough
- Covid is transmitted by exhaled respiratory aerosols from infected individuals
- Smaller aerosols can stay in the air for 30 minutes to hours and travel well beyond 6 feet
- Immunization alone may not guarantee safe workplaces and schools
Redo building designs
- Experts call on governments to ensure buildings are modified for infection control
- They suggest 4-6 air changes per hour with any combination of outside air ventilation
- Air filtration is the process of ridding the air of airborne particles through the use of an air filter
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