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President Les Républicains (LR) of the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region, Laurent Wauquiez, has made the installation of air purifiers in schools his standard in the fight against Covid-19 since October. On Tuesday 10 November he went to a professional school in Saint-Priest (Rhône) to present an air purifier. The latter was installed there as a test.
The Region has already released a sum of 10 million euros with the aim of equipping almost 500 high schools before extending it to all school sites and nursing homes, reports the information site ActuLyon.
If he wants to make his region an example in the fight against Covid-19, Laurent Wauquiez did not stop there and addressed the same day an open letter to Jean-Michel Blanquer, Minister of National Education, asking for the installation of these air purifiers on a larger scale in France.
But what do we really know about these devices, about their effectiveness?
A device adopted in Germany, set aside in France
In his open letter, Laurent Wauquiez particularly takes the example of the Germans, who have done so “ implemented an investment plan and decided to install air purification equipment in their schools “.
In Hamburg, in particular, devices have been implemented, based on studies from the University of Munich. As a result, the number of microparticles would decrease within minutes, according to a report France TV.
An ANSES report first confirms the minister’s version, explaining that some purification filters lack efficiency. But in a second step, he explains that a high-efficiency filter, called HEPA, could be effective against the propagation of micro-drops. And it is the latter that is used in the purifiers tested in Germany, just like those installed in the Saint-Priest high school.
A supplement to ventilation?
It is now proven that the coronavirus can be carried in the air and one of the best ways to remedy its presence in an enclosed space is to ventilate.
Virologist and professor of surveillance and study of emerging diseases at the University of Montpellier, Yannick Simonin reminds us, there is no better way: “We must renew the air as much as possible in order to eliminate the aerosols containing the virus, He explains. The number one recommendation is to ventilate these enclosed spaces, even in the fall or winter. “
And when we talk about an air purifier, the principle remains the same: limit the presence of the virus in the air by renewing it. If the purifiers were to take place in French schools, the virologist reminds us that we must continue to remain cautious: “This shouldn’t replace masks, barrier gestures and ventilation. “
And for good reason, the virus obviously isn’t just transmitted through the air. If the latter is renewed, there will still be traces of the virus in the classrooms. Again, this isn’t a quick fix.
“It could limit aerosol transmissions. But all other contamination from objects, or from sneezing and coughing, will not be eliminated. Perhaps it can be a complementary weapon, but it is not a solution in itself “, Yannick Simonin insists.
Not just any purifier
There are several types of purifiers, as explained above. “There are molecular, particle or UV type C filtrations”, explains Gaël Le Noret, project manager in the research and development department of the Finistère ETT company, which specializes in air and water treatment systems.
It is in the particulate filters that we find HEPA, called “Absolute filter” in jargon. The specialist confirms this, these filters would eliminate “99.95% particles larger than 0.01 microns, tiny bacteria”.
Be careful not to rush on any air purifier, because not all are the same and are built based on use. Some air purifiers, especially UV ones, are already in use “In the food industry and in the medical sector”, explains Gaël Le Noret. This is especially true, for example, for the disinfection of operating rooms.
The Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region has turned to the Camfil company to equip its schools, but other companies are already offering purifiers for other types of public such as companies and communities, in Brittany or even in Isère.
No precise data relating to Covid
If Laurent Wauquiez insists that the government turn to air purifiers, specialists face a glaring lack of evidence of effectiveness.
“What we could see in the Hamburg schools, we could not verify it, there was no real scientific study to prove that there was actually a reduction in the risk of Covid transmission”, resumes Yannick Simonin.
But faced with the health situation and the few results on microparticles, the virologist is far from closing the door to the idea: “Why not, but without forgetting the aeration measures, and with further studies to confirm the effectiveness of the purifiers. “
Another problem will also have to be solved, that of the cost of purchasing the devices. In its reportage in the German school, France TV Berlin mentions the 450 € purifiers …
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