Dear Colleagues:
If you are short on time, here is the executive summary:
Time to make healthy trouble and sign a petition today to the WHO to urge them to recommend the implementation of best practice healthy air guidelines in light of the recent studies showing a direct link between the spread of COVID-19 through aerosol emissions in addition to larger droplets – this is for INDIVIDUALS, so everyone can sign –
Here's a link to the petition for signatures:
https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/message-to-who-on-reducing-covid-airborne
If you want to be informed:
Assuming many of you read and were surprised (shocked) by the article in the NYT.
in response, we learned that the scientific community has crafted a response signed by 239 scientists – including Joe Allen from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. You know – Cog FX fame.
The link-ish
Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/cid/article-abstract/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa939/5867798 by guest on 07 July 2020
If you can’t download it, here is a small excerpt:
Such measures are practical and often can be easily implemented; many are not costly. For example, simple steps such as opening both doors and windows can dramatically increase air flow rates in many buildings. For mechanical systems, organizations such as ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers) and REHVA (the Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations) have already provided guidelines based on the existing evidence of airborne transmission. The measures we propose offer more benefits than potential downsides, even if they can only be partially implemented.
It is understood that there is not as yet universal acceptance of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV2; but in our collective assessment there is more than enough supporting evidence so that the precautionary principle should apply. In order to control the pandemic, pending the availability of a vaccine, all routes of transmission must be interrupted.
In the spirit of being troublemakers, at the encouraging and leadership of Joyce Lee (past AIA COTE chair and more) a few of us have been talking about following the scientific community’s response with one of our own. I cannot think of a better group to make healthy trouble. Please sign and distribute the template language to the AEC community
The following has been a template largely developed by Mary Ann Lazarus – with huge input from Luke Leung. Luke will be making a case to the SDL group at the summit tomorrow. I will try to make the same on Thursday but you know how hard it is to following Luke – so help me out here. Sign the petition. Plus its my first time starting a post.
Here is the template language
I am writing to ask you to sign a statement to the World Health Organization to urge them to recommend the implementation of best practice healthy air guidelines in light of the recent studies showing a direct link between the spread of COVID-19 through aerosol emissions in addition to larger droplets. While the WHO's statement on July 9 acknowledging the potential of aerosol emissions is promising, their brief is still limited in scope. There is a great need and opportunity for the WHO to engage built environment experts in the effort to improve indoor environments. We can make a difference in maintaining a focus on improving indoor air health given the recent media attention to this issue. That can save lives.
We can express our collective support with your help and your signature.
Here's a link to the petition for signatures:
https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/message-to-who-on-reducing-covid-airborne
The goal is to complete as many signatures – targeting 1000 - from at least 30 countries in the next week. We want to build off the momentum of the recent media attention to this issue. Also, given the upcoming return to schools and workplaces, it's very important that building and integrated system solutions be put in place. There are best practice healthy air guidelines being developed in the US and internationally that could be implemented as soon as possible. We urge the World Health Organization (WHO) to work with built environment experts and recommend the adoption of best practice air standards in the built environment to protect our global citizens.
Thanks for considering this request and please feel free to forward onto other AEI professionals around the globe.
add your signature - here is how we have sent it out.
i KNOW many of you are already taking action
sign now. sign proud
Pauline
Joyce S. Lee FAIA, WELL AP, LEED Fellow; Mary Ann Lazarus FAIA, LEED Fellow; Kay Sargent ASID, IIDA, CID, LEED® AP, MCR.w, WELL AP; Pauline Souza, FAIA, LEED Fellow, WELL AP; Luke Leung, PE, LEED Fellow, P Eng; William P. Bahnfleth, PhD, PE, FASHRAE, FASME, FISIAQ
