Has anybody sent their kid to school with a CO2 monitor (to measure ventilation)?

[Anonymous]

Would other pants be on of I got the classroom a HEPA air purifier?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I'll bite. You sent your child to school with a $250 co2 monitor that doesn't give you the results in real time, or sound an alarm if the co2 level is too high..... why? What is the specific outcome you are looking for?

They provide real-time data. ?

We (including DD"s teacher) wanted to ensure that the room had adequate ventilation/fresh air.

So once you have data that says the co2 is too high, you do what? Call from your office and ask the teacher to open a window?

My kid was monitoring and gave updates to the teacher and me - the teacher who would have opened the window more or maybe added another air cleaner.

I hope you paid for the air cleaner. I don’t get why you think a cheap air cleaner is the solution. Good luck with that. You sound annoying. If you are ok sending your child in person stop complaining about it bb

Because they are smart and know covid is airborne. Any extra ventilation improves the indoor air to lessen the exposure to covid.
The only person complaining is you.

I'm not complaining but its gross to monitor the air, complain to the teacher and expect the teacher to purchase more air cleaners and filters. If you were so concerned about covid, you would homeschool or do VA.

You keep showing up with these wild accusations about things allegedly done by people who use air quality monitors…that no one here has said that they’ve done. Why is that?

You're talking to multiple different people. I know this because I'm one of them. But not that one. What you're doing is weird and hypervigilant. Monitoring the air in your own home is fine. Monitoring the air in school is crazy. If you don't trust the air quality, send your kid to a small private and leave the teachers alone. They have enough stress without you forcing yours on them.

This, seriously. It is completely bizarre. Kids are sitting in desks not spaced out. They are hugging, sitting right next to each other, etc. Air Quality is nice but given how close they are, they will catch it given how infectious the new variant is. Teachers have enough to worry about. This is truly bizarre and you should get your mental health checked if you are minimizing how serious covid is and hiding behind things like air quality.

It will take multiple layers of mitigation from better air quality to distancing to masking to testing. Either you are part of the problem or solution but just worrying about air quality is giving you a false sense of security.

And, there have been studies about the windows opening putting students at risk as then the covid is blown to the kids nearest the windows.

Um multiple layers includes indoor air quality. That's why school systems across the country have CO2 monitors in every classroom. The idiot who thinks the CO2 monitor belongs at home flunked science. CO2 monitors are most beneficial in shared public spaces. The idea, for people that have brains, is to keep the CO2 levels low when the space is shared and when people including kids are in close contact. It's science. It's how people keep from spreading COVID. It's of course meaningless to the parents sending their kid to school to get them out of the house. For the parents that want their child to be educated a CO2 monitor is a way to keep COVID from spreading so kids can continue to learn.

How does it keep Covid from spreading? The kid asks the teacher to open a window, which may or may not happen? Compelling.

Seems like it’s beyond your comprehension abilities. Sit back and don’t worry about it, honey.

So then enlighten us. What does the kid do with the information? What action does it result in?

Already asked and answered. Try to keep up. Or not, if it’s just beyond you.

Opening windows is not the fix.

It’s one of many layers used to reduce transmission. You stupid?

What is wrong with you? What about kids with allergies? There are issues with opening windows and air flow. Lots of studies on it.

You are against.....opening windows?

GTFO, troll.

Are you the troll? Seriously, do you have any knowledge on the subject? If we're going to have open windows all year, why bother with HVAC systems at all, it would be wasteful.

More knowledge than you.

It was the best way to provide adequate fresh air in a building with an old HVAC system -- it was just one of several layers our kid's school used to reduce transmission. I don't know if they plan to do it in the fall, but they certainly did last fall/winter/spring. It was a small price to pay to have kids in the classroom before vaccines.

Most school HVAC systems are crap. If the air isn't being replaced 5-6x per hour then you have poor air quality in general, not even just covid concerns.

If a school facilities crew can say that they have fresh air exchange, 5–6 air changes per hour, and CO2 <800 ppm then there would have been no need for teachers to monitor and take action.

[Anonymous]

I am wondering if people who are upset about monitoring air quality are also upset about water quality testing or montoring for contamination in food ? Like.. guys we have the ability to do better. Indoor air quality is dismal, way worse than outdoor and schools are terrible offenders. Older buildings with outdated HVAC and no money for sexy stuff like utility upgrades - maybe for energy efficiency and that makes air quality worse!

I offered my child’s teacher and principal a co2 meter and was expressly requested not to send it. I respected the request though I wish I hadn’t. I monitor air quality in our home and at my office. My office is awesome, 500-600ppm, and I’d love the same reassurance for my kids school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am wondering if people who are upset about monitoring air quality are also upset about water quality testing or montoring for contamination in food ? Like.. guys we have the ability to do better. Indoor air quality is dismal, way worse than outdoor and schools are terrible offenders. Older buildings with outdated HVAC and no money for sexy stuff like utility upgrades - maybe for energy efficiency and that makes air quality worse!

I offered my child’s teacher and principal a co2 meter and was expressly requested not to send it. I respected the request though I wish I hadn’t. I monitor air quality in our home and at my office. My office is awesome, 500-600ppm, and I’d love the same reassurance for my kids school.

Our ES has lead in the water and radon in the air. We have gotten letters alerting us for years about it. Shame on MCPS for not doing better

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am wondering if people who are upset about monitoring air quality are also upset about water quality testing or montoring for contamination in food ? Like.. guys we have the ability to do better. Indoor air quality is dismal, way worse than outdoor and schools are terrible offenders. Older buildings with outdated HVAC and no money for sexy stuff like utility upgrades - maybe for energy efficiency and that makes air quality worse!

I offered my child’s teacher and principal a co2 meter and was expressly requested not to send it. I respected the request though I wish I hadn’t. I monitor air quality in our home and at my office. My office is awesome, 500-600ppm, and I’d love the same reassurance for my kids school.

There was no excuse for mcps not to use Covid money to do all the needed upgrades. Kids should not go to school in falling apart buildings. But a co2 monitor is theater and making you feel better when it’s not as helpful as other mitigation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good God what is wrong with you people?

They went to school. They took science. They learned how the COVID virus spreads.

Too bad smart people bother you.

+10000

I’m a teacher and really would love to start measuring this in my space. The ventilation is nonexistent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Threads like this are so disheartening.

MCPS will be the last place in the country to go back to normal....if it ever does.

I can't even imagine showing this conversation to my friends and family outside the DMV. And I'm not even talking about deep red fly-over states.

Just regular places...

MCPS is 100% back to normal so what are you talking about. There will be no masking, no regular testing, no precautions what so every. Its disheartening that MCPS and parents don't care about student or family health and safety.

Your kids can certainly wear masks if they want, and there is a virtual option available if you are not comfortable with in person, which most districts are no longer offering, FWIW. You could also move to a district that has precautions more to your liking, although I have no idea where that would be. This area still has the highest mask usage of anywhere I’ve been in the last few months.

The virtual option has limited space. There are no districts with precautions or I would consider moving.

The fact that you can't find ONE district with precautions should tell you something. Do you not see this is a YOU problem?

Nope. I see it as a situation in which many other people are going to have regrets that I won’t have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Threads like this are so disheartening.

MCPS will be the last place in the country to go back to normal....if it ever does.

I can't even imagine showing this conversation to my friends and family outside the DMV. And I'm not even talking about deep red fly-over states.

Just regular places...

MCPS is 100% back to normal so what are you talking about. There will be no masking, no regular testing, no precautions what so every. Its disheartening that MCPS and parents don't care about student or family health and safety.

Your kids can certainly wear masks if they want, and there is a virtual option available if you are not comfortable with in person, which most districts are no longer offering, FWIW. You could also move to a district that has precautions more to your liking, although I have no idea where that would be. This area still has the highest mask usage of anywhere I’ve been in the last few months.

The virtual option has limited space. There are no districts with precautions or I would consider moving.

The fact that you can't find ONE district with precautions should tell you something. Do you not see this is a YOU problem?

Nope. I see it as a situation in which many other people are going to have regrets that I won’t have.

Even if there was masking and basic precautions with this new variant I would not send my kids in person when they like virtual and do well in it. And, we enjoy time as a family. I would far more regret sending my kids and one getting really sick when it was unavoidable. At least we have the stability of daily classes and not have to worry about kids missing a week or two of curriculum as they or a teacher is sick.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I'll bite. You sent your child to school with a $250 co2 monitor that doesn't give you the results in real time, or sound an alarm if the co2 level is too high..... why? What is the specific outcome you are looking for?

They provide real-time data. ?

We (including DD"s teacher) wanted to ensure that the room had adequate ventilation/fresh air.

So once you have data that says the co2 is too high, you do what? Call from your office and ask the teacher to open a window?

My kid was monitoring and gave updates to the teacher and me - the teacher who would have opened the window more or maybe added another air cleaner.

I hope you paid for the air cleaner. I don’t get why you think a cheap air cleaner is the solution. Good luck with that. You sound annoying. If you are ok sending your child in person stop complaining about it bb

Because they are smart and know covid is airborne. Any extra ventilation improves the indoor air to lessen the exposure to covid.
The only person complaining is you.

I'm not complaining but its gross to monitor the air, complain to the teacher and expect the teacher to purchase more air cleaners and filters. If you were so concerned about covid, you would homeschool or do VA.

You keep showing up with these wild accusations about things allegedly done by people who use air quality monitors…that no one here has said that they’ve done. Why is that?

You're talking to multiple different people. I know this because I'm one of them. But not that one. What you're doing is weird and hypervigilant. Monitoring the air in your own home is fine. Monitoring the air in school is crazy. If you don't trust the air quality, send your kid to a small private and leave the teachers alone. They have enough stress without you forcing yours on them.

This, seriously. It is completely bizarre. Kids are sitting in desks not spaced out. They are hugging, sitting right next to each other, etc. Air Quality is nice but given how close they are, they will catch it given how infectious the new variant is. Teachers have enough to worry about. This is truly bizarre and you should get your mental health checked if you are minimizing how serious covid is and hiding behind things like air quality.

It will take multiple layers of mitigation from better air quality to distancing to masking to testing. Either you are part of the problem or solution but just worrying about air quality is giving you a false sense of security.

And, there have been studies about the windows opening putting students at risk as then the covid is blown to the kids nearest the windows.

Um multiple layers includes indoor air quality. That's why school systems across the country have CO2 monitors in every classroom. The idiot who thinks the CO2 monitor belongs at home flunked science. CO2 monitors are most beneficial in shared public spaces. The idea, for people that have brains, is to keep the CO2 levels low when the space is shared and when people including kids are in close contact. It's science. It's how people keep from spreading COVID. It's of course meaningless to the parents sending their kid to school to get them out of the house. For the parents that want their child to be educated a CO2 monitor is a way to keep COVID from spreading so kids can continue to learn.

How does it keep Covid from spreading? The kid asks the teacher to open a window, which may or may not happen? Compelling.

Seems like it’s beyond your comprehension abilities. Sit back and don’t worry about it, honey.

So then enlighten us. What does the kid do with the information? What action does it result in?

Already asked and answered. Try to keep up. Or not, if it’s just beyond you.

Opening windows is not the fix.

It’s one of many layers used to reduce transmission. You stupid?

What is wrong with you? What about kids with allergies? There are issues with opening windows and air flow. Lots of studies on it.

You are against.....opening windows?

GTFO, troll.

Are you the troll? Seriously, do you have any knowledge on the subject? If we're going to have open windows all year, why bother with HVAC systems at all, it would be wasteful.

More knowledge than you.

It was the best way to provide adequate fresh air in a building with an old HVAC system -- it was just one of several layers our kid's school used to reduce transmission. I don't know if they plan to do it in the fall, but they certainly did last fall/winter/spring. It was a small price to pay to have kids in the classroom before vaccines.

Most school HVAC systems are crap. If the air isn't being replaced 5-6x per hour then you have poor air quality in general, not even just covid concerns.

If a school facilities crew can say that they have fresh air exchange, 5–6 air changes per hour, and CO2 <800 ppm then there would have been no need for teachers to monitor and take action.

DP. Can you show me some evidence that opening the windows will improve the air exchange in a statistically significant way- specifically in comparison to the "old" and "newer" systems. We had a parent at our school continually lobbying for open windows but one of the head facilities people in MCPS said it would work against the HVAC system. We are at a newer school. But it's hard to tell when people are lying and the parent advocate never shared anything beyond hand waving that open-windows-are-better so it was hard to know what to believe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Threads like this are so disheartening.

MCPS will be the last place in the country to go back to normal....if it ever does.

I can't even imagine showing this conversation to my friends and family outside the DMV. And I'm not even talking about deep red fly-over states.

Just regular places...

MCPS is 100% back to normal so what are you talking about. There will be no masking, no regular testing, no precautions what so every. Its disheartening that MCPS and parents don't care about student or family health and safety.

Your kids can certainly wear masks if they want, and there is a virtual option available if you are not comfortable with in person, which most districts are no longer offering, FWIW. You could also move to a district that has precautions more to your liking, although I have no idea where that would be. This area still has the highest mask usage of anywhere I’ve been in the last few months.

The virtual option has limited space. There are no districts with precautions or I would consider moving.

The fact that you can't find ONE district with precautions should tell you something. Do you not see this is a YOU problem?

Nope. I see it as a situation in which many other people are going to have regrets that I won’t have.

Even if there was masking and basic precautions with this new variant I would not send my kids in person when they like virtual and do well in it. And, we enjoy time as a family. I would far more regret sending my kids and one getting really sick when it was unavoidable. At least we have the stability of daily classes and not have to worry about kids missing a week or two of curriculum as they or a teacher is sick.

I mean, that's great, but would you force your kids to stay in virtual if they didn't like it? You seem to imply that parents who send their kids to school are horrible, irresponsible parents but for you it seems to have been an easy choice because virtual worked well for your kids. That was not the case for many, many kids, particularly the younger ones. For ES kids, it's recommended they get no more than 2hrs screen time per day. I'm not going to just ignore that recommendation to appease my desire to never get sick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll bite. You sent your child to school with a $250 co2 monitor that doesn't give you the results in real time, or sound an alarm if the co2 level is too high..... why? What is the specific outcome you are looking for?

They provide real-time data. ?

We (including DD"s teacher) wanted to ensure that the room had adequate ventilation/fresh air.

So once you have data that says the co2 is too high, you do what? Call from your office and ask the teacher to open a window?

My kid was monitoring and gave updates to the teacher and me - the teacher who would have opened the window more or maybe added another air cleaner.

I hope you paid for the air cleaner. I don’t get why you think a cheap air cleaner is the solution. Good luck with that. You sound annoying. If you are ok sending your child in person stop complaining about it bb

Because they are smart and know covid is airborne. Any extra ventilation improves the indoor air to lessen the exposure to covid.
The only person complaining is you.

I'm not complaining but its gross to monitor the air, complain to the teacher and expect the teacher to purchase more air cleaners and filters. If you were so concerned about covid, you would homeschool or do VA.

You keep showing up with these wild accusations about things allegedly done by people who use air quality monitors…that no one here has said that they’ve done. Why is that?

You're talking to multiple different people. I know this because I'm one of them. But not that one. What you're doing is weird and hypervigilant. Monitoring the air in your own home is fine. Monitoring the air in school is crazy. If you don't trust the air quality, send your kid to a small private and leave the teachers alone. They have enough stress without you forcing yours on them.

This, seriously. It is completely bizarre. Kids are sitting in desks not spaced out. They are hugging, sitting right next to each other, etc. Air Quality is nice but given how close they are, they will catch it given how infectious the new variant is. Teachers have enough to worry about. This is truly bizarre and you should get your mental health checked if you are minimizing how serious covid is and hiding behind things like air quality.

It will take multiple layers of mitigation from better air quality to distancing to masking to testing. Either you are part of the problem or solution but just worrying about air quality is giving you a false sense of security.

And, there have been studies about the windows opening putting students at risk as then the covid is blown to the kids nearest the windows.

Um multiple layers includes indoor air quality. That's why school systems across the country have CO2 monitors in every classroom. The idiot who thinks the CO2 monitor belongs at home flunked science. CO2 monitors are most beneficial in shared public spaces. The idea, for people that have brains, is to keep the CO2 levels low when the space is shared and when people including kids are in close contact. It's science. It's how people keep from spreading COVID. It's of course meaningless to the parents sending their kid to school to get them out of the house. For the parents that want their child to be educated a CO2 monitor is a way to keep COVID from spreading so kids can continue to learn.

How does it keep Covid from spreading? The kid asks the teacher to open a window, which may or may not happen? Compelling.

Seems like it’s beyond your comprehension abilities. Sit back and don’t worry about it, honey.

So then enlighten us. What does the kid do with the information? What action does it result in?

Already asked and answered. Try to keep up. Or not, if it’s just beyond you.

Opening windows is not the fix.

It’s one of many layers used to reduce transmission. You stupid?

What is wrong with you? What about kids with allergies? There are issues with opening windows and air flow. Lots of studies on it.

You are against.....opening windows?

GTFO, troll.

Are you the troll? Seriously, do you have any knowledge on the subject? If we're going to have open windows all year, why bother with HVAC systems at all, it would be wasteful.

More knowledge than you.

It was the best way to provide adequate fresh air in a building with an old HVAC system -- it was just one of several layers our kid's school used to reduce transmission. I don't know if they plan to do it in the fall, but they certainly did last fall/winter/spring. It was a small price to pay to have kids in the classroom before vaccines.

Most school HVAC systems are crap. If the air isn't being replaced 5-6x per hour then you have poor air quality in general, not even just covid concerns.

If a school facilities crew can say that they have fresh air exchange, 5–6 air changes per hour, and CO2 <800 ppm then there would have been no need for teachers to monitor and take action.

DP. Can you show me some evidence that opening the windows will improve the air exchange in a statistically significant way- specifically in comparison to the "old" and "newer" systems. We had a parent at our school continually lobbying for open windows but one of the head facilities people in MCPS said it would work against the HVAC system. We are at a newer school. But it's hard to tell when people are lying and the parent advocate never shared anything beyond hand waving that open-windows-are-better so it was hard to know what to believe.

There are so many variables (types of hvac systems, room sizes, window placement, etc) that I’m not sure if a study like that exists.

For that specific case, what were the measurements for that new HVAC system in the classrooms? Changes per hour? MERV rating? Unfortunately, even some newer systems may be inadequate in terms of ventilation (fresh air, not filtered/recirculated).

This would be a good scenario for a CO2 monitor to see if the HVAC system was adequately pulling in fresh air.

Some info on air quality in schools:
https://covid.ri.gov/covid-19-prevention/indoor-air-circulation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Threads like this are so disheartening.

MCPS will be the last place in the country to go back to normal....if it ever does.

I can't even imagine showing this conversation to my friends and family outside the DMV. And I'm not even talking about deep red fly-over states.

Just regular places...

MCPS is 100% back to normal so what are you talking about. There will be no masking, no regular testing, no precautions what so every. Its disheartening that MCPS and parents don't care about student or family health and safety.

Your kids can certainly wear masks if they want, and there is a virtual option available if you are not comfortable with in person, which most districts are no longer offering, FWIW. You could also move to a district that has precautions more to your liking, although I have no idea where that would be. This area still has the highest mask usage of anywhere I’ve been in the last few months.

The virtual option has limited space. There are no districts with precautions or I would consider moving.

The fact that you can't find ONE district with precautions should tell you something. Do you not see this is a YOU problem?

Nope. I see it as a situation in which many other people are going to have regrets that I won’t have.

Even if there was masking and basic precautions with this new variant I would not send my kids in person when they like virtual and do well in it. And, we enjoy time as a family. I would far more regret sending my kids and one getting really sick when it was unavoidable. At least we have the stability of daily classes and not have to worry about kids missing a week or two of curriculum as they or a teacher is sick.

I mean, that's great, but would you force your kids to stay in virtual if they didn't like it? You seem to imply that parents who send their kids to school are horrible, irresponsible parents but for you it seems to have been an easy choice because virtual worked well for your kids. That was not the case for many, many kids, particularly the younger ones. For ES kids, it's recommended they get no more than 2hrs screen time per day. I'm not going to just ignore that recommendation to appease my desire to never get sick.

I hate to tell you this but when we were in person before covid, kids got way more than two hours of screen time so you are kidding yourself to think in person doesn't have that. My kids gave me the passwords to all their accounts and some tracked how long they were in each day.

My kids are flexible. We have always supplemented at home so it is pretty normal around here. I don't consider school screen time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll bite. You sent your child to school with a $250 co2 monitor that doesn't give you the results in real time, or sound an alarm if the co2 level is too high..... why? What is the specific outcome you are looking for?

They provide real-time data. ?

We (including DD"s teacher) wanted to ensure that the room had adequate ventilation/fresh air.

So once you have data that says the co2 is too high, you do what? Call from your office and ask the teacher to open a window?

My kid was monitoring and gave updates to the teacher and me - the teacher who would have opened the window more or maybe added another air cleaner.

I hope you paid for the air cleaner. I don’t get why you think a cheap air cleaner is the solution. Good luck with that. You sound annoying. If you are ok sending your child in person stop complaining about it bb

Because they are smart and know covid is airborne. Any extra ventilation improves the indoor air to lessen the exposure to covid.
The only person complaining is you.

I'm not complaining but its gross to monitor the air, complain to the teacher and expect the teacher to purchase more air cleaners and filters. If you were so concerned about covid, you would homeschool or do VA.

You keep showing up with these wild accusations about things allegedly done by people who use air quality monitors…that no one here has said that they’ve done. Why is that?

You're talking to multiple different people. I know this because I'm one of them. But not that one. What you're doing is weird and hypervigilant. Monitoring the air in your own home is fine. Monitoring the air in school is crazy. If you don't trust the air quality, send your kid to a small private and leave the teachers alone. They have enough stress without you forcing yours on them.

This, seriously. It is completely bizarre. Kids are sitting in desks not spaced out. They are hugging, sitting right next to each other, etc. Air Quality is nice but given how close they are, they will catch it given how infectious the new variant is. Teachers have enough to worry about. This is truly bizarre and you should get your mental health checked if you are minimizing how serious covid is and hiding behind things like air quality.

It will take multiple layers of mitigation from better air quality to distancing to masking to testing. Either you are part of the problem or solution but just worrying about air quality is giving you a false sense of security.

And, there have been studies about the windows opening putting students at risk as then the covid is blown to the kids nearest the windows.

Um multiple layers includes indoor air quality. That's why school systems across the country have CO2 monitors in every classroom. The idiot who thinks the CO2 monitor belongs at home flunked science. CO2 monitors are most beneficial in shared public spaces. The idea, for people that have brains, is to keep the CO2 levels low when the space is shared and when people including kids are in close contact. It's science. It's how people keep from spreading COVID. It's of course meaningless to the parents sending their kid to school to get them out of the house. For the parents that want their child to be educated a CO2 monitor is a way to keep COVID from spreading so kids can continue to learn.

How does it keep Covid from spreading? The kid asks the teacher to open a window, which may or may not happen? Compelling.

Seems like it’s beyond your comprehension abilities. Sit back and don’t worry about it, honey.

So then enlighten us. What does the kid do with the information? What action does it result in?

Already asked and answered. Try to keep up. Or not, if it’s just beyond you.

Opening windows is not the fix.

It’s one of many layers used to reduce transmission. You stupid?

What is wrong with you? What about kids with allergies? There are issues with opening windows and air flow. Lots of studies on it.

You are against.....opening windows?

GTFO, troll.

Are you the troll? Seriously, do you have any knowledge on the subject? If we're going to have open windows all year, why bother with HVAC systems at all, it would be wasteful.

More knowledge than you.

It was the best way to provide adequate fresh air in a building with an old HVAC system -- it was just one of several layers our kid's school used to reduce transmission. I don't know if they plan to do it in the fall, but they certainly did last fall/winter/spring. It was a small price to pay to have kids in the classroom before vaccines.

Most school HVAC systems are crap. If the air isn't being replaced 5-6x per hour then you have poor air quality in general, not even just covid concerns.

If a school facilities crew can say that they have fresh air exchange, 5–6 air changes per hour, and CO2 <800 ppm then there would have been no need for teachers to monitor and take action.

DP. Can you show me some evidence that opening the windows will improve the air exchange in a statistically significant way- specifically in comparison to the "old" and "newer" systems. We had a parent at our school continually lobbying for open windows but one of the head facilities people in MCPS said it would work against the HVAC system. We are at a newer school. But it's hard to tell when people are lying and the parent advocate never shared anything beyond hand waving that open-windows-are-better so it was hard to know what to believe.

I wish I could remember where I’d seen it, but I read a study where they found that open windows cause currents that in many cases actually drove the air in the room downward, or simply made it circulate around the room. It depends on room size, window placement, and both internal and external temperature and humidity. And in rooms where the HVAC was running, it threw the intended circulation patterns out of whack.

So yeah, throwing windows open isn’t the panacea people think it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Threads like this are so disheartening.

MCPS will be the last place in the country to go back to normal....if it ever does.

I can't even imagine showing this conversation to my friends and family outside the DMV. And I'm not even talking about deep red fly-over states.

Just regular places...

MCPS is 100% back to normal so what are you talking about. There will be no masking, no regular testing, no precautions what so every. Its disheartening that MCPS and parents don't care about student or family health and safety.

Your kids can certainly wear masks if they want, and there is a virtual option available if you are not comfortable with in person, which most districts are no longer offering, FWIW. You could also move to a district that has precautions more to your liking, although I have no idea where that would be. This area still has the highest mask usage of anywhere I’ve been in the last few months.

The virtual option has limited space. There are no districts with precautions or I would consider moving.

The fact that you can't find ONE district with precautions should tell you something. Do you not see this is a YOU problem?

Nope. I see it as a situation in which many other people are going to have regrets that I won’t have.

Even if there was masking and basic precautions with this new variant I would not send my kids in person when they like virtual and do well in it. And, we enjoy time as a family. I would far more regret sending my kids and one getting really sick when it was unavoidable. At least we have the stability of daily classes and not have to worry about kids missing a week or two of curriculum as they or a teacher is sick.

I mean, that's great, but would you force your kids to stay in virtual if they didn't like it? You seem to imply that parents who send their kids to school are horrible, irresponsible parents but for you it seems to have been an easy choice because virtual worked well for your kids. That was not the case for many, many kids, particularly the younger ones. For ES kids, it's recommended they get no more than 2hrs screen time per day. I'm not going to just ignore that recommendation to appease my desire to never get sick.

I hate to tell you this but when we were in person before covid, kids got way more than two hours of screen time so you are kidding yourself to think in person doesn't have that. My kids gave me the passwords to all their accounts and some tracked how long they were in each day.

My kids are flexible. We have always supplemented at home so it is pretty normal around here. I don't consider school screen time.

I mean...good for you? Many (most?) kids despise virtual. There were a couple benefits for older kids that I'm sure are missed. Sleeping in and being able to easily cheat.

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Anonymous wrote:I'll bite. You sent your child to school with a $250 co2 monitor that doesn't give you the results in real time, or sound an alarm if the co2 level is too high..... why? What is the specific outcome you are looking for?

They provide real-time data. ?

We (including DD"s teacher) wanted to ensure that the room had adequate ventilation/fresh air.

So once you have data that says the co2 is too high, you do what? Call from your office and ask the teacher to open a window?

My kid was monitoring and gave updates to the teacher and me - the teacher who would have opened the window more or maybe added another air cleaner.

I hope you paid for the air cleaner. I don’t get why you think a cheap air cleaner is the solution. Good luck with that. You sound annoying. If you are ok sending your child in person stop complaining about it bb

Because they are smart and know covid is airborne. Any extra ventilation improves the indoor air to lessen the exposure to covid.
The only person complaining is you.

I'm not complaining but its gross to monitor the air, complain to the teacher and expect the teacher to purchase more air cleaners and filters. If you were so concerned about covid, you would homeschool or do VA.

You keep showing up with these wild accusations about things allegedly done by people who use air quality monitors…that no one here has said that they’ve done. Why is that?

You're talking to multiple different people. I know this because I'm one of them. But not that one. What you're doing is weird and hypervigilant. Monitoring the air in your own home is fine. Monitoring the air in school is crazy. If you don't trust the air quality, send your kid to a small private and leave the teachers alone. They have enough stress without you forcing yours on them.

This, seriously. It is completely bizarre. Kids are sitting in desks not spaced out. They are hugging, sitting right next to each other, etc. Air Quality is nice but given how close they are, they will catch it given how infectious the new variant is. Teachers have enough to worry about. This is truly bizarre and you should get your mental health checked if you are minimizing how serious covid is and hiding behind things like air quality.

It will take multiple layers of mitigation from better air quality to distancing to masking to testing. Either you are part of the problem or solution but just worrying about air quality is giving you a false sense of security.

And, there have been studies about the windows opening putting students at risk as then the covid is blown to the kids nearest the windows.

Um multiple layers includes indoor air quality. That's why school systems across the country have CO2 monitors in every classroom. The idiot who thinks the CO2 monitor belongs at home flunked science. CO2 monitors are most beneficial in shared public spaces. The idea, for people that have brains, is to keep the CO2 levels low when the space is shared and when people including kids are in close contact. It's science. It's how people keep from spreading COVID. It's of course meaningless to the parents sending their kid to school to get them out of the house. For the parents that want their child to be educated a CO2 monitor is a way to keep COVID from spreading so kids can continue to learn.

How does it keep Covid from spreading? The kid asks the teacher to open a window, which may or may not happen? Compelling.

Seems like it’s beyond your comprehension abilities. Sit back and don’t worry about it, honey.

So then enlighten us. What does the kid do with the information? What action does it result in?

Already asked and answered. Try to keep up. Or not, if it’s just beyond you.

Opening windows is not the fix.

It’s one of many layers used to reduce transmission. You stupid?

What is wrong with you? What about kids with allergies? There are issues with opening windows and air flow. Lots of studies on it.

You are against.....opening windows?

GTFO, troll.

Are you the troll? Seriously, do you have any knowledge on the subject? If we're going to have open windows all year, why bother with HVAC systems at all, it would be wasteful.

More knowledge than you.

It was the best way to provide adequate fresh air in a building with an old HVAC system -- it was just one of several layers our kid's school used to reduce transmission. I don't know if they plan to do it in the fall, but they certainly did last fall/winter/spring. It was a small price to pay to have kids in the classroom before vaccines.

Most school HVAC systems are crap. If the air isn't being replaced 5-6x per hour then you have poor air quality in general, not even just covid concerns.

If a school facilities crew can say that they have fresh air exchange, 5–6 air changes per hour, and CO2 <800 ppm then there would have been no need for teachers to monitor and take action.

DP. Can you show me some evidence that opening the windows will improve the air exchange in a statistically significant way- specifically in comparison to the "old" and "newer" systems. We had a parent at our school continually lobbying for open windows but one of the head facilities people in MCPS said it would work against the HVAC system. We are at a newer school. But it's hard to tell when people are lying and the parent advocate never shared anything beyond hand waving that open-windows-are-better so it was hard to know what to believe.

I wish I could remember where I’d seen it, but I read a study where they found that open windows cause currents that in many cases actually drove the air in the room downward, or simply made it circulate around the room. It depends on room size, window placement, and both internal and external temperature and humidity. And in rooms where the HVAC was running, it threw the intended circulation patterns out of whack.

So yeah, throwing windows open isn’t the panacea people think it is.

Opening windows to dispute covid is actually huge. It is the difference from allowing it to linger and dispersing it.