20 Years of Academic Progress Lost During Pandemic

20 years of academic gains were lost… the pandemic disrupted schools in a way most could not imagine.

?Mommy, I can't log in… Daddy, my video isn't working… virtual schools for kids. Most of us heard these statements multiple times in a day during the pandemic.

?I am not here to debate the question of should our kids have stayed at home during the pandemic for safety reasons or stayed in person. Things were happening fast during the pandemic, and decisions had to be made, so as Henry L. Hayes, Jr., MPA says, “Leaders lead." Decisions were made, and much of the country sent kids home to keep them AND the people who care for them safe; as most kids were resilient against the virus, BUT unfortunately many caretakers were not. Many died.

?Yet, in the aftermath of the pandemic, we know that virtual school did not work for several reasons. Now, this is not poking the leaders who closed schools in the eye. Poking people in the eye does not do any good for anyone, nor does it do anything to solve the problem.

?A McKinsey & Company report shows we lost about 20 years of learning during the pandemic (see Figure 1). See the link below for the full report:

? COVID-19 learning delay and recovery

?The graphic below is overwhelming once absorbed.

“The pandemic erased more than 20 years of progress on NAEP assessments. Barring unforeseen disruptions, if student performance improves at rates similar to historical trends, fourth-grade students will not catch up to 2019 math levels until 2036, and reading levels until 2044, while eighth graders won’t recover 2019 math levels until 2050.” –McKinsey & Company

?So, should we have kept kids in school? There is no easy answer. The answer is quite nuanced, and the bottom line is that we need to focus forward to prepare for "when," not "if” the next pandemic will come. We need to apply the things we learned and be better in the future.

?What we know in hindsight is that the virus was spread primarily through very tiny airborne particles suspended in the air. The particles are smaller than the circumference of a strand of human hair. (see Figure 2) While the virus can also be spread by touching an infected surface, airborne transmission is the primary way it spreads.

This means the “Air We Share” is of critical importance. Now what is meant by the “Air We Share?” This is the mutual air we share when in the same room together. (see Figure 3) Suppose I am infected with any respiratory virus while breathing and/or talking. In that case, I will be actively emitting the virus into the air in the room (like a person smoking in a room). I will likely infect other people in the same space because they inhale the “Air We Share," much like second-hand smoke.?

In one hour, we must have significant outside air exchanges (ACH) to mitigate "infected" inside air (second-hand smoke). This may mean larger and/or more powerful HVAC systems are needed. They are a significant investment that leads to higher utility bills to run the systems at a higher rate to get the necessary amount of clean outside air inside to dilute the infected air. This leads to an exponential impact on our fragile energy grid.

?In addition to more outside air, we need proper filtration. Air filters catch pollutants as the air leaves the room and cleans it before the air gets recycled. Air filters do not clean the air in the room. High quality air filters also increase the load on the energy grid.

?The in-room standalone air purifying systems can be an asset when cleaning the “Air We Share," but in some cases, they get turned off because they can be loud. And a little know fact is that if a person speaks louder to be heard, more airborne particles are emitted into the “Air We Share.”

?So, what is the answer to getting and maintaining quality indoor air, not just for our kids but for everyone who works in a room with others? The answer is nuanced. There is no one-size fits all solution. Indoor air quality is built on the tripod (see figure 4) of

? 1. Ventilation

- HVAC systems

- Filtration

2. Filters

- Air purifiers

3. Germicidal Ultraviolet (GUV) Lights

- Upper-Room UV (254 nm)

- Far UVC (222 nm)

The answer is nuanced because every building is different.?Not all spaces in the building are utilized the same. It takes an audit of facilities to figure out what is the right answer for do you need more ventilation, filtration and GUV. They all play distinct pivotal roles in indoor air quality.

?

1.?HVAC systems are necessary for comfortable temperatures, fresh air circulation, and the removal of CO2 gases.

? 2.?Filters clean the air, as it passes back into the air ducts, of unwanted pollutants before recirculating some of it.

? 3.?Germicidal UV (GUV) cleans the air in the actual spaces occupied by people while people are in the rooms. GUV works by disrupting or destroying the DNA proteins that contain the DNA of the pathogen. It renders it unable to replicate. This means the spreading of the pathogen stops.

?The first two components are commonly known and discussed, yet the third seals the deal regarding indoor clean air. Figure 5 below shows a room with a pathogen continuously released (chain smoker) before the “Whole-Room” GUV was turned on & after. With the light setting on medium intensity, the pathogen presence is reduced by +90%.

In addition to stopping the spread of pathogens, Far UVC also cleans the air in the room. In 1 hour, it can provide up to 35 or more equivalent air exchanges (eACH). The effect of multiple eACH in one hour has a compounding effect.

? -?1st eACH replaces approximately 67% of the air in the room

-?Next eACH replaces 67% of the air in the room

- Next eACH replaces 67% of the air in the room, and so on

-?After 6 eACHs = ~99.7% of air replaced

- 5 ACH per hour = ongoing VERY clean & safe air?

?GUV in effect, neutralizes viruses in real-time while people occupy the room. It serves as a proactive offense against viruses.

?Yet again, I want to emphasize that GUV alone will not do the trick. A tripod approach is needed. You need a quality HVAC system and quality air filters. The three components working together provides very high quality indoor air quality for all occupants.

By taking this 3-prong approach to “Air We Share," we mitigate future risks and create a safe place for everyone to thrive. Additionally, this approach will help educational institutions, companies and organizations nationwide comply with the new air indoor quality standard ASHRAE 241. I'll talk more about this in my next post.

?Now if you are interested more in germicidal UV, many companies operate in this space, Ushio America, Inc. and Eden Park | 222nm Continuous Disinfection Solutions , to name a couple. I have personally experienced the products of Far UV (222nm) Disinfection Lighting Solutions . There are lots of smart people who can provide great advice like PJ Piper , John Yerger , Holger Claus , Shinji Kameda and Aaron Williams .

I've see the technology work. While the CEO of the Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments , my team and I worked diligently with USUVClean to install Far UV (222nm) Disinfection Lighting Solutions technology across 4 school districts on 331 school buses to proactively protect bus drivers and kids in addition to installing equipment in 72 school cafeterias and entrance ways across the 4 school districts during the pandemic. While unable to equip the classrooms, we did something significant to create a much greater measure of safety for our kids, facility staff, and faculty. While they all have robust cleaning protocols in-place, again the primary method of transmission is airborne. And now Clarendon County School District, Kershaw County School District , Lee County School District and Sumter School District - Sumter, South Carolina have cleaner “Air We Share" in the aforementioned spaces.

?And now the million dollar question, did the technology have any measurable results? One of our school districts meticulously tracked their data and they showed a 27% reduction in absenteeism YOY during the pandemic. By my estimation, it worked.

?If you are interested in an audit of your facilities, there is a company with +30 years in the filtration and GUV industries that will work with your local HVAC company to help you figure out what is the specific solution for your buildings.

The bottom line is we need to have more productive conversations about indoor air quality (IAQ). The past 2 1/2 years have shown how poor IAQ can cripple the world, our country and our economy.