Chance of corona infection twelve times lower at school thanks to air purifiers: devices come in 1,000 classes

...Blocken and co. yesterday presented the results of the first measurements of aerosol concentrations in twenty-five schools in Aarschot and Bilzen. There is a big difference between classes with air purification and those without. Especially for the smallest particles that float in the air – smaller than 1 micrometer – Blocken found reductions of up to 90 percent and more. “These are the smallest saliva droplets that we exhale and that Covid-19 can attach to,” says Blocken.

Based on these aerosol measurements, the engineer concludes that the infection risk is no less than twelve times lower with air purification. That risk is 0.2 percent with those devices and 2.4 percent without. “That figure also seems low with air purifiers, but it is a rough indication,” says Blocken. “We assumed one infected person in the classroom and an exposure of two hours.”

Now it is important to test that theoretical infection risk – based on an internationally used formula – against reality. At the beginning of next school year, Blocken and his team will have placed air purifiers in 500 Flemish and 500 Dutch classes and will carry out measurements there. The aim is to explore how air purifiers make a difference in real-world contamination classes. Teachers also need to keep track of how many students are absent and why.

The ultimate goal remains to equip every school with air purifiers. “The data show that air purifiers remove aerosols and particulate matter from the air,” says Blocken. “That is not only good for corona or possible future pandemics, by reducing particulate matter we make classrooms healthier for our children. In that light, the cost price of 120 million euros is actually peanuts .”..

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