K-12 schools have implemented some protective measures to improve indoor air quality in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, prioritizing ventilation and filtration to reduce the transmission of the virus, says a report released April 29 by the Center for Green Schools of the U.S. Green Building Council. However, school districts still have unmet IAQ needs and face numerous challenges related to costs and outdated building infrastructure, as well as confusion over conflicting IAQ improvement guidance from different groups, reports “Preparation in the Pandemic: How Schools Implemented Air Quality Measures to Protect Occupants from COVID-19.”
The study is “important because it helps us understand how existing guidance documents were used so that we can develop part of a roadmap to achieve better IAQ in schools,” says Corey Metzger, the schools team leader for the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force and a principal of Resources Consulting Engineers LLC. ASHRAE, formerly known as the American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, provided the Center for Green Schools with technical assistance for the study.