Peggy Lai, MD, MPH

School closures have been implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce disease transmission resulting in enormous economic, psychosocial, and educational costs. Guidelines have been proposed for safer school reopening, but many controversial recommendations involve changing individual behaviors such as masking, vaccination and social distancing. Pandemic fatigue has decreased adherence to these recommended protective behaviors. Instead, environmental interventions like portable high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) cleaners do not rely on individual behavior and can potentially reduce airborne respiratory virus exposure. However, it is unknown whether HEPA cleaners work in a real-world school setting. We will explore a recently completed large study of HEPA cleaners in elementary schools to ask the question, "What influences respiratory virus exposure in elementary schools? Do HEPA cleaners in elementary school classrooms decrease respiratory virus exposure and infections in asthmatic children?