In the case of falling temperatures, schools are considering using Hepa filters to combat the spread of Covid-19.

As winter approaches, schools want to know whether high-efficiency particulate air (Hepa) filters can help them fight the spread of Covid-19 when the temperature drops.

Pairic Clerkin, CEO of the Irish Primary School Principal Network (IPPN), said: "We have always been very clear that we want our schools to be open and we want them to be safe."

"The message is clear. In order to keep them as safe as possible, ventilation is essential. 

"Managing Covid is very challenging for the principal and deputy principal. I think every support that public health can provide will truly help the school community." 

This includes reviewing and reintroducing contact tracing in elementary schools. He added that Hepa filters are another measure that helps improve classroom air quality. 

"Many of our school buildings are very old, and many of our classrooms are very small. This will pose a challenge for ventilation. In these situations, we think it really needs to be studied. 

If there is no proper ventilation, then we do need an air filtration system. " 

In March, the government's ventilation expert group suggested that a stand-alone Hepa filter device might help reduce airborne transmission in poorly ventilated spaces. 

The chair of the group, John Wenger of University College Cork, said it recommends risk assessments for all classrooms in the spring and summer. 

"It's not enough, we are paying for it now," Professor Wenger said. 

He added that the Ministry of Education has indeed adopted the organization's recommendation on the introduction of carbon dioxide alarms, and it has indeed recommended the use of Hepa filters in poorly ventilated areas. The filter is an "plug-in" solution that filters airborne particles from the air.

Professor Wenger stated that not every classroom needs Hepa filters, but for schools that need them, any barriers to accessing or applying for these devices should be eliminated. 

Recommendations around the world are that in poorly ventilated areas where ventilation cannot be improved immediately, Hepa filters provide a good way to purify the air. " 

Orla Hegarty, assistant professor at the College of Architecture at the University of Dublin, said that some schools will face a higher risk, and if they encounter ventilation problems, they should give priority to using Hepa filters. 

These include "urban schools, where the community develops very rapidly, and the children are in full classrooms. Usually children in these areas live in smaller families, which are more likely to be crowded multi-generational families. They also More likely to become a family whose parents are more likely to work on the front line or use public transportation," she said.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Education said that air purifiers may be seen as an additional measure to solve continuous poor ventilation.

“Schools that find insufficient room ventilation can use their small work grants or apply for emergency engineering grants to permanently solve the ventilation improvement problem.” 

Read more Nphet: Action is needed to protect the "core priority" of keeping the school open 

Sign up to send the latest news directly to your inbox at 1pm every day

© Irish Examiner Ltd, Linn Dubh, Assumption Road, Blackpool, Cork. Registered in Ireland: 523712.