Move classes online when API hits 100, say health experts

Rather than make children wear surgical masks, the authorities should close schools and move classes online when the air pollutant index (API) reading exceeds 100, health experts say.

Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said pupils should wait until air quality improves to a healthy level before returning to school.

She said children should also not be allowed to participate in outdoor activities such as games, marathons and marching when API readings are rising, even if they stay below 100.

“Children face an extra burden as their lungs may not have matured or reached full capacity (as an adult), and they face a higher risk of haze effects,” she told FMT.

Hazy conditions continue to affect several parts of the country, driven by severe forest and land fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia, amid unusually dry conditions linked to El Niño.

Several areas in Malaysia have recorded unhealthy API readings, with Sarawak heavily affected and experiencing hazardous air quality.

An API reading of 0 to 50 indicates good air quality; 51 to 100, moderate; 101 to 200, unhealthy; 201 to 300, very unhealthy; and above 300, hazardous.

The education ministry currently requires schools to stop outdoor activities when the API reading exceeds 100, but schools only close when it rises above 200.

Paediatrician G Naveen Nair said moving children indoors is the first step during periods of bad haze but added that classroom air quality also needs attention.

Windows should not be left open unnecessarily, though classrooms should not be fully sealed either, as some ventilation is still essential, he said.

Air filtration could help where available, he said, while parents should not assume that wearing a mask makes strenuous outdoor activity safe.

Sharifa said children might not wear surgical masks properly and, in any case, masks may not even offer sufficient protection from the haze, making them a poor alternative to school closure.

“A better option than a surgical mask is an N95 respirator mask, but it is not comfortable and may cause claustrophobia in some children.

“Furthermore, it may not fit effectively, yet give parents a false sense of security,” she said.

Health ministry guidance says ordinary surgical masks do not filter the fine particles in the haze, while N95 respirators provide better protection when properly fitted but may not be suitable for children.

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