Increasing ventilation reduces SARS-CoV-2 airborne transmission in schools: A retrospective cohort study in Italy's Marche region.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

While increasing the ventilation rate is an important measure to remove inhalable virus-laden respiratory particles and lower the risk of infection, direct validation in schools with population-based studies is far from definitive.

Methods

We investigated the strength of association between ventilation and SARS-CoV-2 transmission reported among the students of Italy's Marche region in more than 10,000 classrooms, of which 316 were equipped with mechanical ventilation. We used ordinary and logistic regression models to explore the relative risk associated with the exposure of students in classrooms.

Results and discussion

For classrooms equipped with mechanical ventilation systems, the relative risk of infection of students decreased at least by 74% compar

SUBMITTER: Buonanno G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9787545 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature