School Inner City Air Study

Launched by MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · Jul 11, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The School Inner City Air Study is a clinical trial designed to see if using special air cleaners called HEPA cleaners can help reduce the spread of respiratory viruses in elementary school classrooms. The study will involve classrooms where some will receive the active HEPA cleaners, while others will use fake (sham) cleaners that do not work. Researchers want to find out if these cleaners can lower the chances of students and teachers getting sick, and whether this also helps keep their family members healthy.

To participate, children in grades K-5 (ages 6-12) who attend a school involved in the study can join, as long as they plan to stay at the school for the next year and can provide consent with their parents. Adults, including parents or teachers, must also be able to understand the study and give consent. Participants will be asked to help collect samples (like nose swabs) and answer some questions. This study is not yet recruiting but aims to gather important information on how clean air can make schools healthier for everyone involved.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Children
• • Grades K-5 (age 6-12 years)
• • Attend one of the schools that the study team has permission to obtain classroom/school environmental samples
• • Have no plans to move schools within the upcoming 12 months
• • Subject and/or parent guardian must be able to understand and provide informed consent and also willing to participate in the study
• • Adults
• • Adult (age 21 or older) parent, caretaker, or household member of child participating in this study, or teacher in classroom participating in study
• • Able to understand and provide informed consent
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Children
• • Contraindication to or inability to participate in home self-collection of nasal swab samples
• • Severe chronic diseases (e.g. cancer, genetic or congenital disorders interfering with mobility)
• • Severe neurobehavioral, neurodevelopmental or psychiatric disorders requiring special assistance
• • Families who do not speak English or Spanish well enough to complete the survey questions, as validated versions in other languages are not available for all of the measures
• • Adults
• • Contraindication to or inability to participate in home self-collection of nasal swab samples
• • Severe chronic diseases (e.g. cancer, genetic or congenital disorders interfering with mobility)
• • Severe neurobehavioral, neurodevelopmental or psychiatric disorders requiring special assistance
• • Families who do not speak English or Spanish well enough to complete the survey questions, as validated versions in other languages are not available for all of the measures