<
https://www.croakey.org/australian-classrooms-have-worse-air-quality-protections-than-many-pet-shelters-and-greenhouses/>
"As Australia enters peak flu season and new COVID-19 variants arrive, now is
the time to ask why Australian schools have lower standards for air quality
monitoring, ventilation and filtration than many greenhouses and pet shelters.
It sounds absurd, yet it is often the case that a cat or dog staying in an
animal shelter – or even a young plant growing in a commercial greenhouse –
enjoys a more carefully controlled environment than our children do in
childcare centres and schools.
Schools and childcare centres are notorious settings for infectious disease
outbreaks.
For air quality scientists, this is hardly surprising given the limited
monitoring, ventilation and filtration of the air inside classrooms.
Most Australian schools are naturally ventilated, which means relying on
opening windows to bring fresh air from outside.
But in winter, when windows and doors are firmly shut against the cold,
ventilation decreases, and the air becomes thick with airborne particles
carrying infectious viruses, bacteria and mould spores.
Everything the children exhale, including viruses and bacteria, is recirculated
for others to inhale and become sick.
As classroom windows fog up, increased humidity promotes the growth of mould
and the release of airborne spores, increasing asthma risk in young people.
Without ventilation, children can also be exposed to higher levels of fine
particulate matter, formaldehyde and nitrogen dioxide from unflued gas heaters
in some schools, exacerbating respiratory illnesses and increasing rates of
asthma."
Via Violet Blue’s
Threat Model - Covid: June 26, 2025
https://www.patreon.com/posts/covid-june-26-132319886
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
