The Deputy's question relates to the specific role of ventilation as one element of a suite of public health measures used to prevent the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and other air-borne viruses more generally, across a range of settings.
The Expert Group on the Role of Ventilation in Reducing Transmission of COVID-19 provides scientific advice on the role of ventilation and other control measures in mitigating against the risk of long-range (airborne) transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The Group has a wide range of multi-disciplinary expertise in indoor air quality and related areas including, aerosol science, architecture, engineering, regulation, occupational hygiene, exposure science, virology, microbiology, and public health medicine.
The Expert Group on the Role of Ventilation in Reducing Transmission of COVID-19 was initially established as a subgroup of the NPHET with a view to providing expert advice and guidance. Having completed its initial programme of work, and to allow for greater integration and collaboration with relevant Government departments and stakeholders on the further development of sector specific ventilation guidance, the group now works with the Senior Officials Group within the Department of the Taoiseach to further inform sectoral guidance and public information regarding ventilation.
The Expert Group on the Role of Ventilation in Reducing Transmission of COVID-19 submitted two reports to the NPHET. These reports are available on the gov.ie website: www.gov.ie/en/publication/aa43c-expert-group-on-the-role-of-ventilation-in-reducing-transmission-of-covid-19/#reports
The Deputy may also wish to note the work of the Health Protection and Surveillance Centre (HPSC) on ventilation in the context of COVID-19, available on the HPSC website: www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/guidance/infectionpreventionandcontrolguidance/buildingsandfacilitiesguidance/Guidance%20on%20non%20HCbuilding%20ventilation%20during%20COVID-19.pdf
The Deputy may wish to note that it is the responsibility of individual Government departments to provide sector-specific COVID-19 advice on ventilation in line with their respective remits. Questions on ventilation within specific sectors are therefore best addressed to the relevant Departments linked to those sectors. However, for the Deputy’s information, some links to existing guidance across a number of sectors are provided below:
- Education:
www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/guidance/educationguidance/Guidance%20on%20non%20HCbuilding%20ventilation%20during%20COVID-19.pdf
- www.gov.ie/en/publication/ad236-guidance-on-ventilation-in-schools/
- Workplaces, retails settings and shopping centre:
- enterprise.gov.ie/en/Publications/Publication-files/Work-Safely-Protocol.pdf
- www.nsai.ie/images/uploads/general/NSAI-COVID19-Retail-Guidelines-13012021.pdf
- www.nsai.ie/images/uploads/general/NSAI-COVID19-Shopping-Centre-Guidelines-13012021.pdf
- There is also additional guidance on Gov.ie and on the HSE website which outlines the importance of ventilation in households, this can be found here:
- www.gov.ie/en/publication/472f64-covid-19-coronavirus-guidance-and-advice/
- www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/how-coronavirus-is-spread.html
