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As you read this article, you’re likely doing something that could (slowly) kill you: breathing indoor air.

Scientists have long warned that the air in homes, offices and public spaces — where people spend an estimated 90 percent of their time — can be more heavily polluted than the busiest city roads. But campaigners felt not enough was being done to tackle the problem — that’s changing thanks to the coronavirus.

“The issue of indoor air quality has indeed received greater attention in the pandemic context also at EU level,” a Commission official said.

Because COVID-19 is an airborne disease that spreads more easily in poorly ventilated rooms, people are increasingly conscious of indoor air quality, said Corinne Mandin, president of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate, an NGO.

There’s a “real change in the perception of citizens, but also policymakers and industries and economic actors,” she said.

Monitoring air quality has become a key tool in preventing the spread of the virus, and many health authorities now recommend using high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters that can remove nearly all airborne particles, including dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, as well as viruses.

Campaigners hope the focus on keeping people safe from COVID will bump the wider issue of indoor air quality up the policy agenda in Brussels.

“EU legislation covering indoor air quality is fragmented and we lack a comprehensive, integrated approach,” said Javi López, a Spanish MEP with the Socialists & Democrats who is pushing for greater attention to indoor air pollution in an upcoming revision of EU air quality rules expected in the fall.

To be effective, Brussels needs to “effectively mainstream the issue in other EU policies,” including its green agenda, he added.

Hiding in plain sight 

Modern life — even pre-pandemic — involves a lot of time spent indoors. But indoor air can up to five times as polluted as the air outside, scientists say.

Most indoor pollution comes from toxic substances emitted by building materials (asbestos, for example) and consumer products, or from human activity like cooking, cleaning, smoking, burning candles or using printers and photocopying machines. Polluted outdoor air also tends to seep inside.

Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas linked to lung cancer, is among the main culprits poisoning indoor air, along with “tobacco smoke, gases or particles from burning fuels, chemicals, and allergens,” according to the European Environment Agency.

Cooking with gas is effectively “a combustion source at home,” said Nicola Carslaw, a professor studying indoor air chemistry at the University of York, as it emits particulate matter and nitrogen oxides — pollutants spewed from car tailpipes that have been linked to respiratory diseases.

According to a study conducted by U.K. heating, cooling and ventilation company Zehnder, frying an omelet raises levels of particulate matter to over three times that of a typical London road.

Household pollution — which causes some 3.8 million premature deaths worldwide a year, according to the World Health Organization — disproportionately affects lower-income groups. Studies cite poor quality housing, indoor smoking, locations near high-traffic roads and higher occupant density as the main culprits for the bad air in poorer households.

In the EU, it’s deadliest in Eastern European countries where many people still use solid fuels for cooking and heating their homes.

“I think it is … important that we link the debate on indoor air pollution to inequalities,” said López, noting that lower-income groups are at higher risk because they tend to rely on “low-quality solid fuels” and don’t have access to pricier clean technologies.

Legislating clean air

Campaigners say Brussels is waking up to the issue.

The Commission last year launched a call for research projects focused on improving indoor air quality, acknowledging that the issue “has become even more prominent” due to the pandemic. 

The EU executive is also slated to assess policy options to improve indoor air quality “and propose legislative measures as relevant” in 2023 as part of its Zero Pollution Action Plan, which aims to reduce premature deaths caused by air pollution by 55 percent by the end of the decade compared to 2005.

Speaking at an Environment Council meeting in December, Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius said curbing pollution related to home heating systems would be key to hitting its overall pollution reduction targets.

Advocates also want Brussels to tackle the issue as part of its revision of EU air quality rules, expected in the fall. Heal, an NGO, said the EU needs “an integrated framework … for clean air both indoors and outdoors.” 

NGOs have also called for better monitoring of the air quality in public buildings and for a harmonized labeling system indicating whether building materials and furniture emit volatile organic compounds.

The issue is set to become increasingly urgent as the bloc prepares to roll out new plans to green its building stock, including a revamp of rules on buildings’ energy performance, which mentions indoor air quality, and the massive Renovation Wave Strategy aiming to ensure “high health and environmental standards.”

Without strong requirements to clean up indoor air, energy efficiency legislation risks making staying inside more dangerous, warned Carslaw. Better insulation and double-glazing windows will make buildings more airtight, meaning people will be “sealing [themselves] in those buildings” with indoor pollutants.

That also means people locking themselves in with the coronavirus.

“People are very aware that they’re breathing in what other people are breathing out,” Carslaw said. “And that’s been really good for thinking about building ventilation and building design.”

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Researchers at Yale University created a wearable air sampler clip that can be worn on clothing and which can bind aerosols present in the environment. The clip can later be analyzed to determine the level of SARS-CoV-2 exposure while it was worn. The low-cost, battery-free technology could allow people to identify unsafe indoor environments that may require additional safety measures. While the design does not allow for real time viral monitoring, its low cost and ease of use could make it a simple way to improve viral safety in workplaces and healthcare facilities.

As we learn to live with SARS-CoV-2, our tactics for dealing with it have changed. In the early days of the pandemic, when vaccines were not available, many countries opted for severe lockdowns and restrictions on movement coupled with basic sanitary practices, such as hand washing. Now, with the rise of the less severe, but more transmissible Omicron variant, vaccine coverage, rapid testing, and mask wearing have all come to the fore.

Part of this effort involves making indoor environments more COVID-safe. Increasing air movement and ventilation could help to reduce a build up of virus-laden aerosols and in the future more advanced solutions, such as air filters for decontamination, could become commonplace.

Identifying where the virus tends to accumulate indoors is also key in reducing transmission and modifying indoor spaces so that they are as safe as possible. One method involves actively sampling the air to spot viral particles. However, active air samplers are typically large, expensive and require a power source. These researchers have created a low-cost passive alternative that can be worn on clothing throughout the day and then analyzed using PCR later to determine personal exposure levels for the wearer.

The researchers have called their device the Fresh Air Clip and it consists of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface that can continually bind virus-laden aerosols throughout the day. So far, the researchers have tested the device inside a machine that generates aerosols that are similar to those produced when people talk, cough, sneeze, or sing. The aerosols contained a surrogate virus that is much safer to work with than SARS-CoV-2, and the researchers were successfully able to detect the virus on the clips using PCR.

Finally, a group of 62 volunteers put the clips to the test “in the wild” and wore them for 5 days while going about their normal business. The researchers subsequently detected SARS-CoV-2 in five clips, four of which were worn by restaurant servers, highlighting the high viral exposure levels of people working in the service industry.    

Study in Environmental Science & Technology Letters: Development and Application of a Polydimethylsiloxane-Based Passive Air Sampler to Assess Personal Exposure to SARS-CoV-2

Via: Yale

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“We shouldn’t be cutting funding for police departments,” the president said. “I proposed increasing funding.”

The Biden administration also announced Friday a joint effort with two states and more than 30 cities nationwide to develop standards to make buildings more energy-efficient and climate-friendly. The effort includes Colorado and Washington state and cities such as New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Philadelphia.

The announcement builds on an Energy Department plan to upgrade 1 million homes and makes progress toward Biden’s goal to retrofit 4 million buildings and 2 million homes during his first term, the White House said.

Improving energy efficiency in multi-family buildings raises indoor air quality, eliminates drafts and protects residents from extreme heat, delivering health benefits and lower health care costs, the White House said. For businesses, high-performing buildings are likely to attract higher occupancy rates.

“As a coastal city that’s vulnerable to rising seas and extreme heat, Boston must be a national leader in driving a just transition to carbon neutrality,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. The city’s building emissions reduction and disclosure ordinance “sets the standard for securing major emissions reductions from large buildings, with specific benchmarks on the path to becoming a net-zero city and clear mechanisms to ensure that environmental justice communities experience the benefits of net-zero buildings,” Wu said.

Major building trade groups and unions have volunteered to work with cities and states to train workers to retrofit buildings to meet stricter performance standards, the White House said, adding that unions recognize “that these policies stimulate economic growth and good-paying union jobs.”

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With concerns over indoor virus transmission and the health impacts of air pollution, as well as condensation, mould and overheating, ventilation has become a key concern in our buildings. Paul Williams of Domus Ventilation looks at how to improve indoor air quality

Ventilation has progressed from the primary concerns around condensation and mould prevention to reducing overheating in the more airtight new homes as we began to build in response to the Code for Sustainable Homes through to addressing the issue of harmful indoor air pollution. Most recently, ventilation is being talked about in the light of reducing virus transmission.

Ventilation and coronavirus

Coronavirus is primarily spread in indoor environments by people breathing in infected droplets and smaller “aerosol” particles in the air that have been exhaled from the nose and mouth of an infected person. While masks help to limit the spread of these droplets, good ventilation is essential to disperse them.

A short film released by the Department of Health & Social Care in November 2020 shows how ventilation can reduce the risk of infection from Coronavirus by over 70%, as fresh air dilutes the particles. The video focuses on natural ventilation through opening windows, but also acknowledges the role mechanical ventilation systems have to play when used correctly and regularly.

The benefits of mechanical ventilation in reducing transmission

While extract fans in bathrooms and kitchens provide a basic level of ventilation and are low in cost, they are only one step above opening a window. For a more effective solution that ensures fresh air reaches all rooms in a home and pollutants are directly extracted without losing costly heat from the property, whole house mechanical ventilation solutions can’t be beaten, especially if you opt for a Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) system.

MVHR combines supply and extract ventilation in one system. They work on the principle of extracting and reusing waste heat from “wet rooms” (kitchens, bathrooms, utility spaces). They efficiently pre-warm the fresh air drawn into the building with waste stale air using a heat exchanger. The filtered, pre-warmed air is then distributed around the home, effectively meeting part of the heating load in energy efficient dwellings.

MVHR systems provide effective ventilation, are energy efficient and extremely effective at reducing the risk of virus transmission, condensation and cold air draughts.

A lower cost, easier to install alternative to MVHR, Mechanical Extract Ventilation (MEV) systems are also available. These actively extract air from wet rooms via ducting to a central ventilation unit, which exhausts to the atmosphere. The systems are typically two-speed, providing low-speed continuous trickle ventilation and high-speed boost flow. Replacement fresh air is drawn into the property via background ventilators located in the habitable rooms and through air leakage.

Both types of system have been recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as providing a line of defence against the spread of coronavirus.

Because of the nature of these systems, which require extensive ducting, they are mostly suited to new build properties.

Lest we forget: Air pollution

Ventilation in our homes has never been more important but it would be a mistake to focus solely on coronavirus as the only threat to our health. We have been in the midst of a health crisis for some time caused by pollution in the air we breathe.

According to NHS England, 30% of preventable deaths in England are due to non-communicable diseases specifically attributed to air pollution. This has been sadly brought to the fore by the recent recognition of air pollution as a cause of a person’s death for the very first time in the UK, and possibly the world.

Air pollution, notably PM2.5 and NOx, are the key concerns here, with the key emissions source being domestic fossil fuel burning and transport respectively. PM2.5 and NOx particles easily enter our homes around closed doors, which is where our exposure to air pollution mostly happens as we typically spend 90% of our time indoors. With coronavirus lockdown periods, this figure has increased, along with the risk to our health.

Indoor air pollution sources are also problematic and widespread, and vary dramatically from house to house. Sources include cooking, cleaning, fires, candles and even building and decorating materials.

For reducing indoor air pollutants, experts agree that both source removal and ventilation are key.

We have already looked at how whole-house mechanical ventilation systems work and how effective they are in distributing fresh air throughout the home. But in more polluted areas, such as cities, bringing air into the home also brings in dangerous pollutants, especially if the property is located near a busy road.

NOX-FILT

In these instances, ventilation has to be combined with filtration. The Domus Ventilation NOX-FILT, for example, works on the supply leg of the ducting system of a mechanical ventilation system and prevents up to 99.5% of NO2 pollution from entering a home.

The years ahead

There is light on the horizon. We are witnessing one of the biggest vaccination programmes in the history of the world in a bid to fight coronavirus. We are also seeing governments across the globe taking air pollution seriously and putting measures in place to reduce it. And we are seeing ventilation being recognised as a valuable and relatively low cost means of improving our indoor environment and our health.

 

 

Paul Williams

Product manager

Domus Ventilation

Tel: +44 (0)3443 715 523

[email protected]

www.domusventilation.co.uk

Twitter: @domusvent

LinkedIn: domusventilation

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Gardening continues to be one of the top hobbies in the country, but the type of gardening fluctuates in popularity.

Gardening encompasses landscaping, vegetable or fruit gardening, lawn care and interior gardening. Sometimes perennials are the star; edible gardening has been the superstar for the past few years. An up-and-coming contender is houseplants.

Indoor plant gardening is on the rise, with more and more people adding houseplants to their homes than ever before.

It could be that since people were staying home and had more time, they needed something to fill that time. Growing houseplants gives you something you have control over, something to care about. Watching a plant grow or flower or put on fruit can be exciting. Seeing something you have nurtured thrive can be very fulfilling. And houseplants are a way to bring nature inside. They can make your living space inviting, and they can fill a void left behind after the holiday decorations are gone.

Whatever the reason, the popularity of houseplants has increased dramatically in the last few years, and it looks like that trend is continuing.

Growing houseplants is not new. Many people can remember their grandmother’s windowsill full of African violets or a mason jar with a philodendron vine draped across the room. Surprisingly, it is the younger generation of millennials leading the pack in the new burst of enthusiasm for indoor gardening.

Marketing studies suggest that millennials are very concerned about wellness, and there is plenty of research that showcases the healthy effects of having plants nearby. Houseplants help to clean the air. In 1989, NASA did a study that is still relevant today, documenting the benefits of houseplants on indoor air quality. The initial study was done on a limited number of plants, but since then, researchers have found that many plants remove toxins. Some of the best include philodendrons and pothos, Chinese evergreens (Aglaonema sp.), spider or airplane plant (Chlorophytum), dracaenas and peace lily (Spathiphyllum).

    Luanne Blaylock adjusts displays at Dandelion Home and Garden Store, 2923 Kavanaugh Blvd. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/Janet B. Carson)
  DECOR AND PLANTS

Houseplants are available at a wide array of stores from nurseries and garden centers to grocery and specialty stores. A new type of plant business opened in 2021 in Little Rock. Dandelion Home and Garden Store in Hillcrest — a combination plant store and home decor store — is the brainchild of Susan Veasey and Rachel Morris, partners in business and in life.

The shop — at 2923 Kavanaugh Blvd. — is chock-full of plants but also antiques, local art and decorating ideas. The shop showcases how you can use the plants it sells in a wide array of home settings.

While Veasey is more the decor/design person, Morris has the love of houseplants. They moved to Little Rock from Dallas to enjoy a bit of a slower pace. They wanted a business that would meet both their needs, but also be of value to the community. They found a retail concept they both can enjoy, with each sharing her strengths.

Veasey, a full-time nurse at Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock, uses her off-time to work in the store and decompress from all the stress of the covid unit. Plants can do that — they can offer an escape from some pretty stressful times.

Their business name sums up their ideas. Dandelions are tough, durable plants with deep roots, and although some may consider the dandelion a weed, it produces a beautiful flower, the plants are edible, and you can make a wish with the seed pod — a versatile plant, and a versatile business.

Dandelion offers a wide array of houseplants in a variety of sizes at a variety of price points, and for someone starting out, they offer plenty of small plants. Dandelion will help you choose a plant that is right for your home. They will also share cultural information so you understand how to care for the plant.

UNIQUE PLANTERS

The same can be said for the home decor lines. While they do carry antiques, they also feature art, jewelry and a wide range of home goods. They seek out items from small, unique, startup businesses with interesting products to showcase.

Trying to mesh the two parts of their business, they started combining their antiques with their plants, turning some of their decor inventory into creative planters. You can choose one of their planted containers or bring in your own container. Dandelion will work with you to create a design using succulents or houseplants that will enhance both container and plants.

SUCCULENTS

Recently, a customer brought in a designer shoe, and the end result was pretty amazing, with an arrangement of “air succulents” that showcased both the plants and the shoe. The shop also uses succulents in wedding designs and as favors for baby and wedding showers — a lasting reminder of a memorable event.

Succulent plants have been gaining in popularity, and more varieties are available in Arkansas than just the familiar hens and chicks. Succulents have thick, fleshy leaves. They survive well in dry conditions. Air succulents are something a bit different.

Air succulents are a relatively new offering from Holland. Succulent plants would be planted in soil; but these air succulents have had the roots cut off and a callus has formed. They can be grouped in decorative containers, left to sit on a shelf or made into a living wreath.

They are not considered long-lived plants, but they will last longer in humid locations like a bathroom or kitchen. They can absorb moisture from the air. Some growers recommend a light misting of the plants to extend their life, but any lingering water droplets on the foliage would lead to problems.

Consider air succulents as an alternative to a bouquet of flowers — they will last much longer and are extremely easy to take care of.

If you prefer potted succulents, they sell those as well, along with many other houseplants and a diverse mix of cacti.

HOUSEPLANT TIPS

If you are new to gardening, start small and grow your success.

The two main things houseplants need to survive are sunlight and water. The biggest killer of houseplants is overwatering, so learn something about what your plant needs to thrive — light and moisture needs will vary with species.

Pothos, Chinese evergreens, philodendrons and dracaenas are all good choices to start with.

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Houseplants are a lot less demanding than a pet, and a lot less expensive as well. Once you get the knack for it, branch out and add to your collection or, better yet, divide or propagate and share with your friends.

If you don’t own a houseplant, it is time get on that train. There are lots of options out there.

Read Janet Carson’s blog at arkansasonline.com/planitjanet.

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While families around the country grappled with the impacts of health mandates or transitioning from at-home learning for their kids, local school districts have been weighing how to use millions in federal COVID-related funding to help curb the impact.

Agencies have already put money into use from the country’s elementary and secondary school emergency relief, or ESSER, fund since the pandemic began two years ago. Now, district officials are getting plans into shape for ESSER III funds — first allocated tens of billions of dollars to Michigan through the American Rescue Plan in 2021.

For Port Huron Area Schools, that means $25.3 million. In the East China School District, the second-highest recipient, it’s more than $3.4 million, followed by Landmark Academy, as well as Algonac, Capac, Marysville, and Yale school districts with allocations still in the millions.

But administrators said strict rules like setting 20% of the funds aside to address learning loss complicate the process to develop spending plans.

“Most people don’t know that there are a lot of restrictions on how we can spend these funds,” Marysville Public Schools Superintendent Shawn Wightman, said in an email this month. The district is receiving more than $1.7 million.

“We must also ensure that those interventions respond to students’ social, emotional, and academic needs and address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on underrepresented student subgroups,” Wightman said. “This takes a lot of time to develop which is why we have established an ESSER webpage to assist us in engaging in meaningful consultation with stakeholders and to give the public an opportunity to provide us input in the development of our plan.”

Port Huron’s board of education got an update on ESSER III plans from administrators at last Monday’s regular meeting.

Officials said a survey for parents, students, and community members was going out by the end of last week through Google Docs to get feedback on how funds should be prioritized.

Catherine Woolman, the district’s director of instructional services, said its results will be used to develop a plan that’s submitted to the state and later presented to school board members.

“One of the requirements that districts must comply with to receive this funding … is to engage in meaningful consultation with stakeholders and to give the public the opportunity to provide input into the development of its plan,” Executive Director of Business Services Kate Peternel said Monday. “This is a new requirement for the ESSER III funds.”

So, how are the funds being used?

Yale Public Schools Superintendent Kurt Sutton, addressing the 20% rule, said funds are going toward “finding the learning gaps and then creating ways to close those gaps” with things like before- or after-school tutoring, summer programs, and credit recovery.

The district is receiving more than $1.8 million. Sutton said the bulk of all ESSER funds they’ve received is in that amount.

As funds carry over into use for next year and beyond, he said, “Some of the money that isn’t spent will also be used to maintain the lower-class size.”

Peternel said there were 15 allowable uses for ESSER III in all, and that Port Huron schools broke them down into a few categories.

She told school board members they range from developing systems, training and professional development to minimize the spread of COVID-19 to purchasing supplies to clean, as well as a variety of facility-related uses, including repairs and improvements to all for safe operations and upgrades to improve indoor air quality.

On the 20% requirement, Woolman said learning gap interventions must be evidence-based or efforts that “have been done previously that research says, “These work to help students improve their math and reading skills.’”

The specific student groups whose needs should be considered in some efforts, she said, included those with disabilities, as well as those who are low-income, English language learners, a specific ethnic or racial minority, or foster care youth.

Other uses, Peternel said, can also go toward mental health and support services and to assisting district staff. The latter, however, came with a caveat.

“One thing we are often asked is if the funds can be used for salaries or bonuses,” she said. “It is very clear that they can’t be used for permanent increases, and any one-time payments must only be for duties above and beyond regular duties. And they also must be aligned with the pandemic. … And we also have to remember that once these funds are gone, the general fund will have to continue to pay for anything that we’ve put in place long-term.”

Additionally, Woolman said educational technology could be an applicable use.

That was an area Debby Wilton, superintendent at Landmark, pointed to with “online learning platforms for families that choose a virtual option for their children.” She also said they plan to upgrade the school’s heating and cooling systems “to provide clean air and climate-controlled buildings.”

Landmark Academy is receiving $2.2 million in ESSER III money.

Algonac Superintendent Alan Latosz said their district, which got more than $1.8 million, is focusing on staffing needs in narrowing the gap “for students who missed out on so much instruction over the past two years.” He also addressed students’ mental strain and allocating funding for extra help through a social worker, counselor and school nurse.

School officials differed in how much of their funds had been deployed already.

Latosz said most had already been spent or had a designated plan with “decisions going forward” surrounding a remaining $600,000.

Peternel said the ESSER funds moving forward must be obligated by September of 2024 and related expenditures liquidated by December that year.

How else have districts prepared for ESSER III funds?

Sutton said Yale officials went through informational training to see how funds could be used.

“And we continue to be very careful to make sure we’re spending on things that are allowable expenditures,” he said. “We aren’t just deciding on a whim. … We’re carefully planning this to make sure we get the most bang for our buck.”

Latosz said, like Port Huron, Algonac Community Schools put out a survey.

Woolman said Port Huron Schools convened a recovery advisory committee in August and “inching into September” whose members consisted of administrators, school board members, building and transportation officials, union representation, and representatives from various community agencies.

“We had parents present, and those parents represented students from elementary, middle, and high school,” she said. “We had two students present. We had a student from each high school, and I think anyone here that was on the committee will echo that their voice was probably the most valuable voice they heard.”

Superintendent Theo Kerhoulas also visited Port Huron school facilities, Woolman, said, holding more than 30 sessions on the COVID recovery process and talking with roughly 150 students and a little over 240 district staff members.

Wilton said Landmark evaluated potential areas of learning loss. In other preparation, she said, “We have met with various staff members and families to consider how best to allocate the funds. We have also analyzed the requirements and guidelines set in the grant funding to ensure we are spending the money appropriately.”

East China Schools Superintendent Suzanne Cybulla did not return multiple requests for comment on ESSER III funds, nor did Jeff Terpenning, superintendent with Capac Community Schools. That district received $1.2 million.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, Memphis Community Schools was to receive $797,712, and East Shore Leadership Academy $718,439 with the St. Clair County Intervention Academy, Virtual Learning Academy of St. Clair County, and Blue Water Middle College getting allocations of $245,660, $222,484, and $81,484, respectively.

Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @Jackie20Smith.

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Originally published January 20, 2022 by McKnight’s Senior Living

The importance of indoor air quality (IAQ) in senior living and care has received a lot of attention over the past few years. Even before the pandemic, owners and operators were beginning to take notice of the effect that air quality can have on senior living residents.

Although IAQ affects everyone, research shows that older adults are particularly susceptible to the health risks associated with poor air quality due to the aging body’s decreasing ability to compensate for the effects of environmental hazards. Air pollution, which can be two to five times worse inside than outside, can aggravate existing chronic health conditions common among seniors, including asthma, lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and heart disease, in addition to negatively affecting cognition. Ventilation, on the other hand, can positively affect sleep quality.

Read the full article by clicking here.

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Delos

As the pioneer of Wellness Real Estate™, Delos is transforming our homes, offices, schools, and other indoor environments by placing health and wellness at the center of design and construction decisions. Delos helps create spaces that actively contribute to human health, performance and well-being by marrying the best innovations in technology, health, science, and real estate. The Delos platform includes programming, design, consulting, research, and an array of innovative solutions and technologies designed to improve health and well-being. More information on Delos is available at www.delos.com.

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HARRISBURG — Sen. Michele Brooks was presented with a “Legislative Champion” Award from the Pennsylvania Health Care Association (PHCA).

“I am honored and humbled to be among a group of such dedicated legislative leaders, to partner with PHCA to help our loved ones in long-term care settings, and to represent the people in Mercer, Crawford, and parts of Erie and Warren Counties in the state Senate,” Brooks said.

Brooks, who is Chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, was presented with this award today by Zach Shamberg, President and CEO of the statewide association.

Shamberg cited Brooks’ ongoing work during the pandemic, particularly her successful efforts to create a new state grant program to improve indoor air quality in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and personal care homes, in awarding her this honor.

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First, public health officials and elected leaders have to acknowledge that the virus is indeed airborne in aerosols, not droplets. Many studies show that as people moved indoors for the fall and gathered for holiday occasions, a spike was inevitable.

The virus can remain suspended in stagnant, unfiltered air for hours, and even brief contact with a “cloud” of the aerosols is enough to get infected. Recall that a single person at a synagogue in New Rochelle infected more than 100 congregants in 2020, shutting down the whole town. Researchers recently traced half of all Covid-19 deaths in Ireland to just 400 buildings (in a country that has 2 million buildings).

What about New York City? What if less than 1% of all our buildings were responsible for the majority of Covid-19 in New York? This is a problem we can tackle, quickly and easily, and it could be the beginning of the end of the pandemic.

I have personally measured the air in indoor public spaces with a carbon-dioxide (CO2) meter. I’ve found that only a few places around the city are doing what it takes to have truly safe air. I’ve also found that a small number of sites are dramatically worse than others, and they might be a good place to start to focus our efforts.

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ISLESBORO — The Health & Safety Building Committee held a question-and-answer session on Zoom Jan. 20 so residents could hear from Public Safety Director and EMS chief Fred Porter and Fire Chief Murt Durkee about why their office space is no longer adequate and ask questions of both men. Committee Chairman Lauren Bruce began the meeting, then gave Porter the floor.

He talked about the lack of privacy and security, for example, for evidence storage, and the inadequacy of the space for EMS trainings, especially given the social distancing required to avoid spreading COVID-19. He recalled times he had been interviewing victims when they were interrupted by someone else coming into the common meeting room, and then the victim was no longer willing to talk to him. He said he has sometimes had to hold meetings or make phone calls in the garage in order to have privacy or if the meeting room was in use.

He also said there is no adequate space for an emergency operations center, which adds stress to the already demanding situation of an emergency. In addition, the EMS service has a $20,000 Sim-Man training dummy it does not have enough space to set up. Porter also said neither he nor Durkee has an office. He shares an office and Durkee works in a closet-like space that used to be a meat locker.

Asked whether the improvements he seeks would help with recruitment and retention of staff and volunteers, Porter said they would. “Professionalism is the most important part of the work that we do,” he said, adding that a professional environment in the workplace was necessary to retain people. He would like to expand the existing meeting room, create a space for secure evidence storage, a separate interview room and offices, as well as an emergency operations room that could double as a computer lab where EMS and fire volunteers could fill out their reports.

Durkee recapped the history of the building’s use by the town, saying the Fire and EMS departments moved there in 1990. He noted that it was a good space for them for a long time, but, “We’re at a point where (the space) is not adequate … the walls are getting closer.”

Like Porter, he said the lack of privacy for meetings and the close quarters have become a problem. He also noted that the indoor air quality is poor, especially in the summer when lack of ventilation makes the space uncomfortably warm. There is no air conditioning, he said, and just one window they can open for cross-ventilation.

Responding to a question, he said the increase in the island’s population and the fact that the population is aging have led to a greater need for EMS services. In addition, new regulations and the public health requirements imposed by COVID have hastened the obsolescence of the space.

Porter offered to show anyone who would like to visit around the space if they call him in advance.

The next virtual question-and-answer session will feature Health Center Director Dorie Henning and will take place Wednesday, Jan. 26, at 11 a.m. Call or email the Town Office to receive the link.

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UPDATED: 2-alarm fire does ‘extensive’ damage to Lincolnville home

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