Joshua Li / Edge Columnist
British Columbia is investing $77.5 million to upgrade or replace HVAC systems in BC schools, however parents and teachers say it’s not enough.
Schools should do their best to ensure that the students and staff feel comfortable in the facility. They should also be open to suggestions by parents and should accommodate their needs if they feel at risk. Students and staff should feel safe at school and have the right to a safe environment. If parents and staff feel they must spend their own money on filtration systems to keep the school safe, there is something that the school district is doing wrong, and the district should be trying to fix that.
Dave Pataky, a parent at Walton Elementary School, was concerned about the HVAC (Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems in his daughter’s school. Over Christmas break, Pataky had volunteered to build 25 Corsi-Rosenthal boxes – a do-it-yourself air purifier which is built of a box fan and furnace filters, but in January, the school district declined the offer, due to it not being approved by the CSA group.
As Omicron cases grow, the likelihood of a student being at risk increases daily. Without reducing the risk of transmission using ventilation systems, students would be in a classroom sitting on shared chairs/desks, eating lunch, and breathing the same air as others, where something as contagious as Omicron would thrive.
The school district made a statement to CBC News that all HVAC systems have been inspected and running at optimized levels.
Though the air filter’s effectiveness against the spread of COVID-19 has not been proved, the Public Health Agency of Canada states that it may be used as a tool, as ventilation has a key role in reducing the transmission of COVID-19 indoors, as it may replace any contaminated air.
What does this mean?
It means that better air is better for everyone’s health – While stopping transmission of COVID-19 and variants may be unlikely, measures such as washing hands, wearing a mask, and proper ventilation may help reduce the risks of transmission.
There is no problem with using any tools that improve the air quality, especially in schools where ventilation may be crucial in reducing the spread of COVID-19.
If we want to look ahead, we must focus on reducing the matter at hand.
Sources:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/covid-19-safe-schools
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-school-hepa-filter-donation-1.6337417