September 15, 2022 -  As students return to classrooms this fall and COVID-19 transmission continues, two University of Michigan experts are sharing the best practices for schools and teachers when it comes to keeping indoor spaces well ventilated.

Aerosol scientists Andrew Ault and Kerry Pratt have been advising public school systems since the start of the pandemic on how to mitigate COVID-19 transmission in classrooms.

They say social distancing isn’t enough to keep students from inhaling aerosols, which can stay in the air for hours in a room.

The associate professors in U-M’s Department of Chemistry recently gave tips on how teachers can create the safest environment for their class. One option includes making a do-it-yourself air filter by taping a furnace filter around a box fan. Masks and open windows are also key to limit exposure, said the researchers.

Mask fit is important, with the mask sealing against your face without gaps (i.e., not leaking) for best protection. KF94, KN95 and N95 masks are readily available and provide an even higher level of protection than cloth and surgical masks by removing greater than 90% of aerosols exhaled by others when you breathe in.

Read more here.

Source: <https://www.clickondetroit.com/all-about-ann-arbor/2022/09/15/university-of-michigan-experts-share-tips-on-how-to-mitigate-covid-19-spread-in-classrooms/>