Yaneer Bar-YamMar 26, 2023

Illinois’ Bold Move: 60,000 HEPA Air Purifiers To Be Distributed In Schools To Battle Respiratory Viruses.

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced today that the state is launching a $29.6 million program to distribute more than 60,000 HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) purifiers to Illinois schools to help reduce the transmission of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19.

https://www.illinois.gov/news/press-release.26168.html

https://t.co/QhqdYFWmMm

#Covid @whn

Show threadDr Pieter PeachMar 26, 2023
@yaneerbaryam @whn whilst this is an excellent initiative, without forethought there is every chance that this looks good on paper but doesn’t deliver much risk reduction if the solutions chosen do not deliver a reasonable clean air delivery rate at an acceptable noise level.
We need to know the details on the tendering process.
@davidelfstrom
Show threadYaneer Bar-Yam

@PieterPeach @whn @davidelfstrom

Pushing against a train is harder than with it.

Mar 26, 2023 at 10:24pmWeb
Show threadDr Pieter PeachMar 26, 2023

@yaneerbaryam @whn @davidelfstrom correct, but
1. other bodies look for examples on how to do it
2. If it’s done badly it provides another example to criticise efforts that spend public money without delivering real value.

I have emailed the contact of this initiative to help understand their process and provide some constructive suggestions on how to optimise the spending of this public money to achieve the best possible outcomes.

Show threadSamhain NightMar 27, 2023
@PieterPeach @yaneerbaryam @whn @davidelfstrom My concern is where they place the air filters. Drawing air with viruses past people to get to the the filter may defeat the purpose. On the other hand, drawing the air up towards the ceiling away from people to be filtered would be safer.
Show threadDr Pieter PeachMar 27, 2023
@samhainnight @yaneerbaryam @whn @davidelfstrom Upwards flow would provide the most flexibility in terms of placement options to avoid drafts and thermal discomfort.