When I switched our small business's filters to MERV13 recently I was told that they aren't good because they harm the air conditioner. I wonder if that is a factor preventing schools from using MERV13?
It is a factor. My children's elementary school couldn't switch because of this. Many schools in the district were able to switch. In our elementary schools case, the district bought air purifiers with HEPA filters for every classroom and larger air purifiers for the cafeteria and other rooms. The air purifiers have had a very positive benefit in terms of reducing transmission and also in reducing allergens in the air. My children were sick less often last year than back in 2019. They did get sick a couple times but recovered quickly. We tested them for COVID multiple times each time and tests were negative. The viral load may have never reached a level that turned the tests positive because we took aggressive measures at home and in part because they may have been exposed to a lower viral load initially. We will never know for sure but a multi layered approach is very important when combating infections. When utilizing all the tools at our disposal we have avoided infections the past 2 years with 2 children in elementary school.
This sounds like an engineering problem that is easily fixed, but it just costs money. The government would rather give out free EV credits to rich people than address air quality in the schools. It's all about priorities.
I've been looking at the HEPA H13 air purifiers, and the cost per classroom for the air purifier and a new filter every other month would probably be less than $500 per year. That doesn't seem too expensive if it worked.
Thanks for that. I am seeing a very fast rebound once schools returned after break. For example, JN.1.4, which is the second most prevalent JN.1 sub-variant in the U.S. peaked on Dec 25th. It declined until January 5th and is already back to where it was on December 25th. When looking at the wastewater data from University Park, PA, the home of Penn State University the wastewater prevalence declined from Dec 26th. By January 18th, the exponential curve already turned up and is still increasing higher then prior to December 25th. This is faster than I have ever noted before. It is likely that similar situations are playing out in many other places. We have to take into consideration that a number of JN.1 sub-variants, such as JN.1.4 are having a considerable impact. The newest variants are still very low in numbers but spreading fast. The fastest and most likely to have a global impact is JN.1.11.1 .It has a very low total of only 15 sequenced cases so far, with 11 in the 10 days prior to 1/24/2024, but it has an estimated growth advantage of 199.55% over JN.1. The margin of error is between 59.% to 339%. because we need more data but even on the low end, it has a significant advantage. This has been sequenced in NJ. It's parent, JN.1.11 has an estimated 78% growth advantage over JN.1 (42.18%-114%) mutation: S:V1104L - total sequences 41 - 15 in the 10 days prior to 1/24/2024. JN.1.11 has been sequenced in WA, NY, NJ, TX and NC. We know this from a very limited amount of sequencing. The reality is that these variants are already much more widespread and we do not know there overall impact on the human body yet. These variants spread through children at schools into communities causing untold levels of additional damage to long term health. This is an unacceptable and unsustainable situation.
We're in deep trouble. I am reminded of the Danes who settled colonies in Greenland during a mid-millennial warming period. For a couple 100 years, life was good. But then slowly, inexorably the climate reverted back to intense cold. The settlers were wiped out. In the end, they ate their pets to survive to no avail. Change happened and they didn't perceive it or the danger. Most don't perceive the danger of SARS-CoV-2 either. The result will be the same.
When I switched our small business's filters to MERV13 recently I was told that they aren't good because they harm the air conditioner. I wonder if that is a factor preventing schools from using MERV13?
It is a factor. My children's elementary school couldn't switch because of this. Many schools in the district were able to switch. In our elementary schools case, the district bought air purifiers with HEPA filters for every classroom and larger air purifiers for the cafeteria and other rooms. The air purifiers have had a very positive benefit in terms of reducing transmission and also in reducing allergens in the air. My children were sick less often last year than back in 2019. They did get sick a couple times but recovered quickly. We tested them for COVID multiple times each time and tests were negative. The viral load may have never reached a level that turned the tests positive because we took aggressive measures at home and in part because they may have been exposed to a lower viral load initially. We will never know for sure but a multi layered approach is very important when combating infections. When utilizing all the tools at our disposal we have avoided infections the past 2 years with 2 children in elementary school.
This sounds like an engineering problem that is easily fixed, but it just costs money. The government would rather give out free EV credits to rich people than address air quality in the schools. It's all about priorities.
I've been looking at the HEPA H13 air purifiers, and the cost per classroom for the air purifier and a new filter every other month would probably be less than $500 per year. That doesn't seem too expensive if it worked.
Hi TACT...Have a look at data.wastewaterscan.org and call up the SARS-CoV-2 data for region 4.
Not much evidence of a wastewater decline here. (However, sometimes the data on this site can be a little squirrely)
Thanks for that. I am seeing a very fast rebound once schools returned after break. For example, JN.1.4, which is the second most prevalent JN.1 sub-variant in the U.S. peaked on Dec 25th. It declined until January 5th and is already back to where it was on December 25th. When looking at the wastewater data from University Park, PA, the home of Penn State University the wastewater prevalence declined from Dec 26th. By January 18th, the exponential curve already turned up and is still increasing higher then prior to December 25th. This is faster than I have ever noted before. It is likely that similar situations are playing out in many other places. We have to take into consideration that a number of JN.1 sub-variants, such as JN.1.4 are having a considerable impact. The newest variants are still very low in numbers but spreading fast. The fastest and most likely to have a global impact is JN.1.11.1 .It has a very low total of only 15 sequenced cases so far, with 11 in the 10 days prior to 1/24/2024, but it has an estimated growth advantage of 199.55% over JN.1. The margin of error is between 59.% to 339%. because we need more data but even on the low end, it has a significant advantage. This has been sequenced in NJ. It's parent, JN.1.11 has an estimated 78% growth advantage over JN.1 (42.18%-114%) mutation: S:V1104L - total sequences 41 - 15 in the 10 days prior to 1/24/2024. JN.1.11 has been sequenced in WA, NY, NJ, TX and NC. We know this from a very limited amount of sequencing. The reality is that these variants are already much more widespread and we do not know there overall impact on the human body yet. These variants spread through children at schools into communities causing untold levels of additional damage to long term health. This is an unacceptable and unsustainable situation.
We're in deep trouble. I am reminded of the Danes who settled colonies in Greenland during a mid-millennial warming period. For a couple 100 years, life was good. But then slowly, inexorably the climate reverted back to intense cold. The settlers were wiped out. In the end, they ate their pets to survive to no avail. Change happened and they didn't perceive it or the danger. Most don't perceive the danger of SARS-CoV-2 either. The result will be the same.