We know that COVID-19 is more easily transmitted in closed areas than outdoors.
Case in point: Restaurants. Indoor dining was one of the first things to go when the pandemic hit, but it wasn’t long before public health experts gave the green light to open-air patios ‒ and the restaurant industry (plus their loyal customer base) was quick to adapt.
Another perfect example? Classrooms. Recent reports from Harvard University and a group of Ontario hospitals have recommended moving classes outside when possible because the risk of transmitting COVID-19 is much lower there.
Since summer, we’ve seen outdoor elementary school classrooms, outdoor fitness classes, even outdoor university lectures.
Problem is, tolerable temperatures for outdoor learning don’t last long in most of Canada and the Northeastern U.S.A., and unfortunately, COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere soon.
But that doesn’t have to mean class is cancelled.
Because ventilation and air flow inside of a dome is close to outdoor conditions, domes are being pegged by some engineers as a solution for cities and educational institutions searching for reliable clean air.
Plus, domes aren’t just safe alternatives to classrooms! Last spring, Columbia University quickly transitioned its upper Manhattan soccer dome into a 288-bed field hospital. And in China, where air quality has long been an issue, domes have been used as safe alternatives to outdoor spaces for years.
“I think everyone understands and agrees that the best alternative is to be outside as far as the COVID-19 situation goes,” said Farley Group president and CEO John Simpell. “But now that everyone is being forced inside, the focus is on finding safe alternatives.”
When it comes to reducing the risk of transmission, being in a dome could be the closest thing to being outside – and the safest way to keep learning, training, and other in-person activities alive over the coming winter.
Read More: “Domes could be a key to keeping activities alive over winter” [Kitchener Record]
