Better ventilation and filtration can help improve air quality in buildings — and better air quality can help decrease the spread of viruses (like flu and COVID-19). It can also help people with allergies and asthma.
Improve air quality in your program
The air inside your building can be improved by:
- Increasing the amount of outdoor air you bring into the space
- Improving the filtration of recirculated air
If you have a central HVAC system:
- Adjust the settings to bring a higher percentage of outdoor air into the system
- Upgrade the filters to the highest efficiency possible without having detrimental effects on overall HVAC performance
If you don’t have a central HVAC system:
- Open windows or turn on exhaust fans to bring in more outdoor air
- Consider using a stand-alone HEPA filtration unit (properly sized for the room) to help remove pollen, dust, or other similar contaminants from room air when adequate ventilation cannot be achieved via other means
Learn more about air quality
- Check out Launching into Healthy Learning: Tips for Improving Ventilation in Your Child Care Program
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has information about ventilation in Schools and Childcare Programs
- The Harvard School of Public Health has information on healthy buildings
Last updated October 3, 2023