Ventilation tips to prevent spread at schools amid rising Covid-19 cases

New Delhi: Schools were forced to be closed across the country when the coronavirus pandemic hit and lockdown were imposed. However, as the situation got normalised, the government permitted the reopening of schools in phases. The timing, attendance, and manner of reopening were also decided by the government.

In Delhi, Schools were reopened in the month of January. Chief Minister of Delhi permitted the reopening of schools and classes for 10 and 12 students resumed on January 18. On February 5, Delhi schools also resumed classes for  9 and 11 students.

But the Covid cases have again witnessed an uptick of late. In the last three days, Delhi recorded more than 200 cases on daily basis. Delhi witnessed 256 coronavirus cases on Friday, 220 on Thursday and 200 on Wednesday.

In the present scenario, safety should be the most important thing to keep in our mind. The government has also issued guidelines and asked the schools to follow the precautionary measures as the pandemic is still there.

On top of it, there are many other things which the schools should follow to keep everyone safe inside the premises. One of them is maintaining proper ventilation inside the classrooms.

Ventilation is of one the most important thing to maintain a healthy environment and also a very helpful Covid-19 strategy for schools. If you are wearing a proper face mask, it will protect you from the virus. Good ventilation helps you from reducing virus particles present in the air. Here are ways to maintain good ventilation in the schools:

1. Open windows and doors if possible. It helps in increasing outdoor airflow which can prevent the potential concentration of virus present in the air.
2. Use child-safe fans to increase the effectiveness of open windows. These fans help to blow potentially contaminated air out from the room and pull new air in through other open windows and doors.
3. Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) settings can help to maximise ventilation. Set the HVAC system to bring in outdoor air as much as possible. Reduce or eliminate HVAC air recirculation. Running the HVAC system at maximum outside airflow for two hours before and after the building is occupied will refresh the air before arrival and remove remaining particles at the end of the day. HVAC systems are controlled by a thermostat, setting the fan control switch from “Auto” to “On” will ensure the continuous air filtration and distribution.
4. Disable demand-controlled ventilation (DCV) controls the air supply based on occupancy or temperature. This way, the air supply will remain constant throughout the day.
5. Open window in transportation vehicles. Ventilation is most important in school buses and vans which help to increase outdoor airflow. However, authorities should ensure that children do not put their head or hands out of the windows.