Ventilation in school and students' health after outbreak of COVID-19: A systematic literature review

Ventilation is one of the factors that support the health of students needed to support the goals of education. The objective of this study is to analyze how ventilation at school impacts the health of students. Scopus and Web of Science were used to retrieve published articles on ventilation at school and students' health. The search method used the keywords "ventilation" OR "Indoor air pollution" OR "Indoor environment quality" AND "School" AND "Student" OR "Children" AND "Health", from 2019- May 2023. The ventilation in schools researched were ventilation methods, insufficient or lack of ventilation, and the frequency of opening windows. The air quality parameters studied in classrooms were Nitrogen Dioxide were (NO2);Particulate matter 10 (PM10); Particulate matter 2,5 (PM2.5); Particulate matter (PM1); Ozone (O3), benzene (C6H6), and carbon dioxide (CO2. The results showed that the diseases identified in students as a result of poor ventilation were tiredness, bronchitis, symptoms of asthma, risk of infection, rhinitis, etc. We conclude that as ventilation reduces indoor air pollutants, thus related to student health, it should be prioritized to fulfil the requirements for the health of students. (Afr J Reprod Health 2024; 28 [10s]: 449-459).