Ventilation in NZ schools during the Omicron wave – results from a preliminary study

Monday, February 28th, 2022 | carra86p | No Comments

Dr Julie Bennett, Dr Tim Chambers and Dr Caroline Shorter*

Ventilation is a key and relatively underutilised public health measure that can reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission. Last year we outlined the need for adequate ventilation in schools and highlighted the need for nationwide ventilation surveillance. In this blog we provide an overview of the results of carbon dioxide (CO2) monitoring carried out in a variety of schools at the start of the Omicron wave. These results highlight that excessive levels of CO2 can build up in classrooms – and that this can be prevented by window opening. 

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Monitoring CO2 indoors for improving ventilation as a Covid-19 control tool

Wednesday, October 27th, 2021 | carra86p | 1 Comment

Dr Ian Longley and Dr Julie Bennett*

Poor ventilation in indoor settings is widely recognised as a risk factor for the airborne transmission of the virus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes Covid-19. Virus-laden aerosols can remain airborne for hours in indoor spaces with low levels of ventilation. In this blog, we discuss how to use carbon dioxide (CO2) measures as a proxy for estimating the level of ventilation in a building and to guide ventilation improvements in schools and workplaces.

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