PLEASE COPY & PASTE THIS LETTER AND EMAIL IT TO YOUR MP
THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORT!
Dear Name of your MP
Ventilation Bill
SARS-CoV-2 is still killing, disabling and damaging unacceptable numbers of people in the UK and globally. But the science is clear: transmission is preventable through ventilation, filtration and sterilisation.
Everyone deserves the human right to be kept safe from airborne pathogens. It is vital that the UK Government passes a Public Space Ventilation Bill, or that airborne pathogens are named as a biogenic pollutant in the Clean Air Bill (aka Ella’s Law) in an amendment. Long Covid Support wrote an open letter with 20+ co-signatories to Steve Barclay asking for just this. You can see the letter here.
In every public space, especially vulnerable communities and high risk environments such as schools, health and social care settings, we urgently need:
This is only the start of what needs doing - we need comprehensive change. Like the founding of the UK’s sewerage system 150 years ago, this legislation would be a historic step forward for public health. This would protect people from new and existing Covid strains, influenza, Strep A, RSV, future airborne pandemics, and from toxic airborne particles such as VOCs, allergens, air pollution, and mould. It would have a huge positive effect on health, education and productivity.
This is the opportunity to create jobs and an industry whilst relieving pressure on the NHS, social care, the benefits system and employers. Can we afford not to do this?
The UK Government knows this can and should be done. It is rolling out state of the art ventilation and filtration to prevent airborne transmission in Parliament and selected government buildings. The World Economic Forum at Davos had exceptional Covid mitigations including HEPA air filtration and UVGI/Far UVC. I believe everyone deserves the same human right to clean air, not just those in power.
A Royal Academy of Engineering report commissioned by the Government's Chief Scientific Officer, Sir Patrick Vallance, calculated that failure to act on indoor infection control could cost the UK £1.3 trillion over the next 60 years. The key prioritization is clearly affirmed “It is critical to improve the infection resilience of the UK’s built environment and transportation systems.” Chief Medical Officer Sir Chris Whitty asserts that “Engineering interventions, such as effective ventilation indoors, can help to reduce transmission of many infections in places of work, study, at home, and on public transport.”
Many countries are regulating and instigating Clean Air policies involving ventilation and filtration, including Belgium, France, Latvia, New Zealand, Italy, USA and Australia. The UK Government needs to do the same.
The question of our time is how do we end the pandemic? History, writes MIT nuclear engineer Charles Forsberg, “shows that most diseases are stopped by shutting down disease transmission…the most enduring way to stop transmission is via engineered health systems.”
The answer is simple: we must clean the air. If we do this, many pathogens and variants can be eliminated and our right to health and freedoms can be maintained. This also means significant improvement for indoor air quality. The UK is in an air pollution crisis - we need action in indoor public spaces. Please help us to help everyone.
Actions you can do to help:
Yours sincerely
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