NCT06374316

Air Purifiers in Classrooms for Infection Control - a Pilot Study

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 6 (actual)
• Sponsor: Norwegian Institute of Public Health · Other Government
• Sex: All
• Age: —
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study aims to investigate the acceptability and feasibility of deploying air purifiers equipped with HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters in classrooms, to study air purifiers as an infection control measure. It will also evaluate the direct effect of air purifiers on air quality, comparing ceiling-mounted purifiers, portable purifiers and no purifier.

Detailed description

Improved ventilation and air purification have been proposed as promising measures to protect the health of students and children while avoiding future school closures during pandemics. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the effectiveness and potential drawbacks of using air purifiers in educational settings. This pilot study was initiated to explore whether a large study of air purifiers in Norwegian primary school classrooms is feasible and acceptable among teachers and students, and to uncover whether air purifiers can reduce particle density in classrooms and thus potentially decrease the spread of infections. The results will lay the groundwork for larger-scale trials that could form the basis of knowledge for decision-makers on whether the use of air purifiers should be part of the strategy to limit infections in classrooms while avoiding school closures during future pandemics. The pilot study consists of two parts. The first part will last six weeks, and focus on the feasibility and acceptability among teachers and students. It will describe and compare two arms - ceiling-mounted (arm 1) and portable (arm 2) air purifiers. The second part lasts nine weeks, and will evaluate the direct effect of air purifiers on air quality. It will compare ceiling-mounted, and portable devices and no purifier(arm 3). The study will involve multiple schools, with a total of six schools contributing eight classrooms. Arm 1 will have two schools and arm 2 will have three schools, each school contributing with one classroom. Arm 3 will have one school, contributing with three classrooms. The classrooms will preferably belong to 7th grade students, but 6th and 5th grade student classrooms will also be accepted, based on the schools preferences. Data collection includes interviews and questionnaires from teachers and students, observations, as well as absenteeism data and air quality measurements.

Conditions

• Feasibility
• Acceptability

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Ceiling-Mounted Air Purifiers	The devices will be turned on every working day except Tuesdays. Air purifiers will be set at levels perceived as acceptable by both teachers and students during operational hours.
DEVICE	Portable Air Purifiers	The devices will be turned on every working day except Tuesdays. Air purifiers will be set at levels perceived as acceptable by both teachers and students during operational hours.
DEVICE	Portable or Ceiling Mounted Air Purifiers	The Ceiling-Mounted and Portable devices will alternate weekly between being activated and deactivated in the three classrooms. Each classroom will also have three weeks with no purifier activated.This alternating pattern aims to assess the impact of the various air purifiers on air quality. Air purifiers will be set at levels perceived as acceptable by both teachers and students during operational hours.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-01-15
• Primary completion: 2024-05-01
• Completion: 2024-05-01
• First posted: 2024-04-18
• Last updated: 2024-04-18

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Norway