Petition on air quality

A parliamentary petition set up by Hazards Campaign chair Janet Newsham is calling on the government to set new rules on air quality to prevent and control airborne infections in health and social care settings. They would include new ventilation and filtration requirements, personal protective equipment (PPE) standards, with monitoring and inspection to ensure compliance.

The petition explains that Covid and other infectious diseases are spread by airborne aerosols, but these can be prevented by improving air quality and using well-fitting respiratory masks. Some research has found that Covid reinfection can increase the risk of long-term serious organ damage, and care workers are among those with the highest prevalence of long Covid.