Study shows benefit of regular classroom ventilation
A Swiss study has found that poorly ventilated school classrooms record up to six times as many Covid-19 cases compared with those which are regularly aired.
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Estudo mostra o benefício da ventilação regular em sala de aula
The research by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) analysed data from CO2 sensors in 150 classrooms in canton Graubünden, before checking the results against the regular Covid tests run by the schools.
The correlation is clear: “more students and teaching staff were infected with the corona virus in classrooms with poor air quality than in rooms that are regularly ventilated”, EMPA wrote on ThursdayExternal link. The badly ventilated rooms – 60% of those studied, said canton Graubünden – came out with six times as many cases as the better ventilated ones.
The researchers recommend airing out classrooms more than usual, even when outside temperatures are low; they say three times each hour, for five minutes at a time, is best.
More results from cantons Lucerne and Ticino are currently being analysed before a final publication on the topic will be published at the beginning of next year, EMPA researcher Hossein Gorji told the Keystone-SDA news agency.
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