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Dr Joe Pajak

'COVID-19 vaccine: our best defence against the virus - alongside effective social distancing, wearing a mask and washing your hands.' Protecting yourself & may also help to protect your family, friends & patients from the virus.'
💉NHS FAQs on booster:
nhs.uk/conditions/covid-19/cov

nhs.uk · Getting a COVID-19 vaccineFind out if you’re eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine and how to get it.
Public
Dr Joe Pajak

It's time the UK government actively ensured that schools, hospitals, and other public buildings, had effective ventilation and air filtration systems to limit the spread of infectious airborne pathogens, such as the virus - it's a hidden risk - like asbestos and .

Public
Dr Joe Pajak

Creating healthy :
'🇺🇸US schools that used improved outdoor together with other mitigation strategies had lower rates of Covid-19 transmission compared to the rest of the community.' Report: @JohnDMacomber et al., @HarvardHBS hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.asp

Public
Dr Joe Pajak

💯'One possible solution to poorly is provision of 'air cleaning technologies' that remove particles from circulating air - including: the Covid-19 virus and other pathogens, as well as particles that can cause asthma or hay fever.'
adc.bmj.com/content/108/Suppl_

Archives of Disease in Childhood · 901 Class-ACT: the UK’s trial on the feasibility and effectiveness of air cleaning technologies in schoolsObjectives Covid-19 shone a spotlight on the poor air quality present in many classrooms and led to multiple calls for Air Cleaning Technologies (ACT) in schools. This is understandable given the ability of these technologies to remove or inactivate airborne viruses (via filtration or UVC light respectively). However, there is little knowledge about the practicalities and trade-offs associated with implementing ACT at scale. Moreover, technologies that are shown to be effective in laboratory studies can have variable degrees of success in the real-world. This creates complexities for policymakers from cost-benefit analyses of whether to invest in ACT, through knowing what, where, and how to deploy ACT effectively. The CLASS-ACT study determined: 1. The feasibility of installing and running ACT within classrooms 2. The impact of HEPA filter air cleaning technologies (HEPA-ACT) on air quality in primary schools 3. The effectiveness of HEPA-ACT in reducing illness-related primary school absences. Methods Thirty primary schools were assigned to three groups balanced for school type (building; ethnicity; free school meals; total student numbers). These were randomly allocated to three arms: control; HEPA-ACT; UVC-ACT. All schools were predominantly naturally ventilated and relied on manual opening of windows and doors to ventilate classrooms. All classrooms were equipped with air quality monitors. Qualitative work was conducted on the feasibility of installing ACT, air quality analysis was conducted, and epidemiological models determined the impact of ACT on covid-19 related illness. Results The CLASS-ACT consortium found a guidance gap on the use of passive UVC devices in schools, so the UVC arm was not included. Air quality data indicated comparable ventilation rates between groups, and a 48% mean reduction in particulate matter in the HEPA-ACT classrooms. We expect to be able to report any impact on school absences at the conference. We identified a number of challenges in the deployment of HEPA filters within school settings and identified capability, motivation and opportunity issues that need to be considered. Conclusion CLASS-ACT has yielded valuable information that can shape future policy regarding the deployment of air disinfection technologies in schools. It can inform the UK Government, Integrated Care Boards, and Education professionals on the effectiveness and the practicalities of using these technologies in schools. HEPA-ACT is not a panacea and implementation in schools requires careful consideration, but it is a useful tool. Its ability to remove particles, including airborne pathogens, could help schools (and paediatric clinics) become healthier environments.
Public
Dr Joe Pajak

'New Covid variant BA.2.86: does the UK booster programme go far enough'? @TheWeekUK
Limiting booster eligibility is irrational. 💯'Younger people should also have the option for enhanced protection.' @EricTopol @zalaly

theweek.co.uk/news/962351/new-

The WeekNew Covid variant BA.2.86: does the UK booster programme go far enough?By Chas Newkey-Burden
Public
Dr Joe Pajak

'HEPA-ACT (filter air cleaning technologies) is not a panacea - implementation in schools requires careful consideration, BUT is a useful tool. Its ability to remove particles, including airborne pathogens, could help schools (& paediatric clinics) become healthier environments.'

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