Safe Indoor Air (Ventilation) is key to our exit strategy, with short term, urgent needs for schools and businesses, as well as longer term urban design issues that need to be addressed for life in a post-COVID world. In the short term, a layered approach to protection can provide a pathway for businesses, the arts and other sectors to open – vaccine passports, safe indoor air, masks are part of this. Fortunately, Australia has leading world experts on ventilation and shared air, who are part of OzSAGE. There is a substantial body of scientific evidence on Safe Indoor Air (Ventilation) and the risk of airborne infections, generated by engineering, science and medical researchers, but much of it not known to medical experts. Involving engineering experts in ventilation solutions for Australia is essential for our exit from the pandemic.
Vaccine-Plus: Vaccines, masks, testing, tracing and other non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) as required. The absolutes are vaccines, testing and tracing, with NPIs scalable and flexible for different scenarios and at different times, depending on the epidemiology of COVID-19 at the time. If high efficacy 3-dose schedules and matched vaccines become available, masks may not be needed long-term, but will be needed in the medium term with current vaccines and a two-dose schedule. NPIs include crowd control, movement restrictions, masks, blended learning and working (online and face to face mix), curfews, lockdowns, and any other measures that reduce contact between people.
Ventilation Revolution by:QUT