OUR LADY OF CAYSASAY ACADEMY

Integrated School
Taal, Batangas, Philippines

Use the format for title page

Proposed Improved Ventilation System for Taal

Vaccination Center

STEM - Grade 12- St. Barachiel

Hernandez Lance Darwin C.

Isip, Martin Jericho P.

Macalincag, Nino Karl D.

Chapter I

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 THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

Introduction

Discussion of the current situation

The Outbreak of Coronavirus 19 (COVID 19) an infectious disease caused by

the SARS-CoV-2 virus that is causing havoc and a global health crisis. The

Coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan, China in 2019; subsequently in March

2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic. On 7 March

2020, the Department of Health (DOH) announced the country’s first reported

local transmission. In March 16, 2020 President Rodrigo R. Duterte declared

“Declaring a State of Calamity throughout the Philippines due to Corona Virus

Disease 2019” (Proclamation No. 929), lockdowns and other public health

measures were enforced in the Philippines. (Official Gazette, 2020) Other

Variants of concerns have also been detected, COVID 19 Variants have a higher

transmission rate and mortality rate that affect global efforts to end the current

health crisis. (WHO, 2021) The Coronavirus has also been determined to infect

people and yet display no symptoms of the disease or Asymptomatic carriers

(Lowth M,2021). Aside from Mask Wearing and Social Distancing there are other

health and safety protocols to ensure the safety of the people, such as refraining

certain age groups to be able to leave their houses, preventing mass gatherings

that could be super spreader events and reminding people and establishments to

stay in well ventilated places.

Due in fact of the Coronavirus pandemic there has been an interest among

nations to immediately create a safe and effective vaccine that could help

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prevent rising infections among the general population. A major global

undertaking in less than a year since the Pandemic began, in December 2020

the First Approved Coronavirus vaccine was given Emergency Use Authorization

by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States. (FDA.gov, 2020) The

Department of Health issued an Interim Plan in January 2021, “The Philippine

National Deployment and Vaccination Plan for COVID-19 Vaccines.” Which aims

to help local governments in procurement of vaccines and establishing

vaccination centers throughout the country. (DOH.gov.ph, 2021) The goal of the

memorandum is to help local governments in anticipation for Mass vaccination

drive. In March 2021, the Philippines received its first batch of Coronavirus

vaccines and began its inoculation drive through National and Local Government

efforts.

COVID 19 has been widely studied in the past year in order to define the

method of transmission, in a Research by (Rajesh K. Bhagat and P. F. Linden,

2020) COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused when the SARS-CoV-2 virus

impacts on receptors in the body, usually in the respiratory tract. While the

possibility of airborne infection transmission of the virus remains controversial.

Taken into consideration that Vaccinations are Mass gatherings and since the

Taal Vaccination Center is an indoor facility with an air conditioned space limiting

airflow within the facility. According to the Research by (Fadaei, A. 2021)

Respiratory viruses like e.g., coronaviruses, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus,

and tuberculosis transmit through the air. The importance of this transmission

method is higher in closed environments in which the majority of individuals

spend most of their time (90%). In the study by (Smith, Louis, Potts, Henry,

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Almott Richard, 2021) Improving ventilation in indoor spaces reduces

transmission of COVID-19. This is important in home settings, where other

protective measures (eg, physical distancing, wearing a face covering) may be

less likely, and in non-domestic settings, where there is increased household

mixing.

Vaccinations have been proven necessary to combat COVID 19. However

due to new variants of concerns, mass gatherings could possibly lead to Super

spreader events. Since Vaccinations are mass gatherings, it is important that air

flow and proper ventilation is adequate enough to support the vaccination

process and assure the safety of others. Proper Ventilation system especially in

air conditioned and closed off places could help in preventing the spread of

airborne particles that can cause infection not only for the frontliners involved but

also the people being vaccinated. The vaccine campaign along with the health

protocols are necessary for the country’s success against COVID 19. The

vaccination drive must not turn into a super spreader event let alone be a cause

for even more infections.

The Philippines has been one of the countries badly hit by COVID 19 and

high positivity rates among the general population. Reaching One Million

confirmed cases in April of 2021 and Two Million confirmed cases around

September of the same year. Since the Pandemic began the Philippines has

experienced about four waves or surges of infection. The first wave reaching a

peak seven-day rolling average of 316 in early April 2020. From early June 2020,

cases began to steadily increase leading into the second wave, which reached a

peak of around 4,300 daily cases in late August. The third wave reached a peak

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of 11,000 average daily cases in mid-April 2021. However, it is the fourth wave,

fueled by the Delta variant, which is the most severe since the pandemic began.

The country relies on herd immunity as more people get inoculated, the success

of the vaccination drive and as the economy reopens.

The Researchers would like to propose an Improved Ventilation System for

the Taal Vaccination Center and to determine if the current ventilation system is

adequate enough to ensure the safety of the people who will be inoculated

against COVID 19. Through this study, the Municipality of Taal could consider if

the current system of ventilation in their vaccination center is effective against

strains of particles of the virus that may float in the air and to better assure of the

safety of the people gathered in the vaccination center.

Conceptual Framework

The research conducted is entitled “Proposed Improved Ventilation

System for the Taal Vaccination Center”. The study was conducted to

determine if the current system of ventilation used in the vaccination center in

Taal, Batangas is adequate enough to ensure the safety of the people who will

be inoculated against COVID 19. Since Coronavirus are said to be airborne

which they spread in air when people sneeze, cough and breath. Vaccination

Center is considered to be a mass gathering and people might sneeze or cough,

not to mention there are Asymptomatic carriers who display no symptoms of the

disease, so the risk of being infected is incredibly high especially if it’s an air

condition place or non-ventilated places because the virus can easily spread.

That’s why a better and well-improved ventilation system can lower the risk and

ensure the safety of the people being Vaccinated and the Front liners.

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The present study is anchored on the said study. Both studies aim to identify the

relationship of Ventilation System with the Safety of the people being Vaccinated.

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 Safety of the people
Ventilation System
being Vaccinated

Proposed Improved

Ventilation System

Figure 1.0
Research Paradigm

Paradigm of the Study

Figure 1.0 shows the conceptual paradigm of the study. The box at the left

represents the independent variable of the study, Ventilation System. The box at

the right represents the dependent variable, Safety of the people being
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Vaccinated, and the third box at the lower middle represents the proposed output

which is the Proposed Improved Ventilation System.

Statement of the Problem

This research aimed to assess the ventilation system and safety of the

people in vaccination center as basis for the proposed improved ventilation

system for the Taal Vaccination Center.

The research sought to answer the following questions:

1. How do the people who got vaccinated asses the current ventilation

system in Taal Convention Center?

2. How do the people who got vaccinated assess the level of their safety in

Taal Convention Center?

3. Is there a significant relationship between the Ventilation System and the

safety of the people who were vaccinated in Taal Convention Center?

4. How can the Proposed Ventilation be devised?

Hypothesis of the Study

1. There is no significant relationship between the ventilation system

and safety of the people being vaccinated in Taal Convention Center.

Scope, Delimination and Limitation of the Study

This research will focus on assessing the safety of the people

vaccinated in the Taal Vaccination Center and to Propose an Improved

Ventilation system for the Taal Vaccination Center. The target respondents

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 for this study will be the individuals who were vaccinated in the Taal

Vaccination Center.

The researchers considered the individuals vaccinated in the Taal

Vaccination center as respondents since they were the ones who were

vaccinated in the said vaccination center. The researchers considered ages

18-65 since they are eligible for vaccination. There would be a 100

respondents that would be specifically chosen as respondent. The data

gathering instrument used in this study would be quantified through ratings.

This study will not look further and reach out into other Vaccination

centers in Batangas and would focus only on individuals vaccinated in the

Taal Vaccination Center. The researchers also decided not to incorporate

other Public Health Protocols such as, Social Distancing and Mask Wearing.

The research would solely asses the Ventilation system of the Vaccination

Center.

Significance of the Study

This study piloted in acquiring data on the safety of the people being

vaccinated in Taal Vaccination Center and its relation to the Ventilation System.

This research study was done and mainly focused to the People vaccinated in

Taal Vaccination Center.

This findings of the study will allow the People Being Vaccinated, Front liners,

Government Official and the Future Researchers to make them realize the

relevance of the study.

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 People Being Vaccinated. The result of the study will give them a

comprehensive idea and assurance that their safety is ensured. They will know

that virus can spread not only by physical touch but also in airborne and they

have to be extra careful when meeting other people. Also they will know that

ventilation system can lower the risk of Covid in indoor places.

Front liners. This study will help them realize that even though they are

wearing a PPE attire, the risk of being infected is still high. Also this will help

them improve their safety protocol on Vaccination Center.

Government Officials. They can use the result as a reminder that Covid

can spread in air and having a ventilation system in an indoor place can reduce

the risk of being infected. With this, they can improvise the Vaccination Center

and Improved the Protocol when going to the Vaccination Center.

Future Researchers. The study's findings could help future researchers

deal with valid comparisons that could lead to generalization. This might also be

their foundation; given they perform the same type of research.

Definition of Terms

For clearer understanding of the study, important terms are herby defined

lexically, conceptually and operationally.

Airborne. Infection prevention and control strategies that are implemented

in addition to Routine Practices are referred to as Airborne Precautions. For

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illnesses caused by airborne transmission, Airborne Precautions are employed.

(Dr. Mary Vearncombe, 2020). In this study, it refers to the widespread of virus

that’s present in the air particles that living things inhale.

Asymptomatic. It refers to the absence of symptoms. You may be an

asymptomatic case if you reside in a house with persons who have COVID-19

infection but have no symptoms. Recent study, however, shows that the number

of patients who stay entirely asymptomatic is smaller than previously assumed,

at around one in five. While persons with asymptomatic illness are less likely to

spread the disease than those with symptoms, the danger is far from zero. This

is why it's critical to isolate yourself for the whole 10-day period following your

last interaction with someone who has a known illness. (Dr. Mary Lowth, 2021).

In this study, it refers to the persons who tested positive for Covid-19 without

showing any symptoms.

COVID – 19 or The SARS-CoV-2 virus causes Coronavirus Illness

(COVID-19), an infectious disease. The majority of persons infected with COVID-

19 will have mild to moderate symptoms and will recover without any particular

therapy. Some, on the other hand, will get extremely unwell and require medical

assistance. (WHO officials, 2020). In this study, it is what the researchers are

defy.

Inoculation. It is a technique of immunization that involves the

introduction of an infectious material onto an abraded or absorptive skin surface

rather than injecting the substance into the tissues using a hollow needle, as in

injection. Only the smallpox vaccination is frequently administered among the

standard vaccines. Inoculation is also a wide word that refers to any injection of
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antigenic chemicals into the body's tissues. (Gloria Lotha, 2013). In this study, it

refers to the application of supplements onto a human’s body.

Pandemic. An outbreak of virus/disease across the country. "A pandemic

is basically a global epidemic -- an epidemic that spreads to more than one

continent," (Dan Epstein, 2019). In this study, it refers to the ongoing outbreak of

Covid-19 across the globe.

Procurement. Procurement is the process of locating and agreeing on

terms with an external source in order to obtain products, services, or works,

usually through a tendering or competitive bidding procedure. (Saunders, 2003).

In this study, it refers to the negotiation of the Government to the people who will

be given the vaccine to.

Transmission. It is the passing of a disease from an infected individual or

group to a previously uninfected individual or group. It also refers to the various

ways in which an infectious agent, also known as a pathogen, can spread from

one person, item, or animal to another. Infectious illnesses can be transferred by

viruses, bacteria, parasites, or fungus. (Dan Hogan, 2019). In this study, it refers

to the process how the virus (Covid-19) is being transferred from the infected

person to another.

Vaccine. Immunization is a worldwide success story in terms of health

and development, saving millions of lives each year. Vaccines interact with your

body's natural defenses to develop protection, lowering your chance of

contracting a disease. Your immune system reacts when you receive a

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vaccination. (WHO Officials, 2020). In this study, it refers to the substance that

people are injected to inside the vaccination centers.

Ventilation System. The mechanical system in a structure that draws in

"fresh" external air and eliminates "contaminated" inside air is known as

ventilation. It is frequently used to eliminate pollutants such as fumes, dusts, and

vapors from the workplace in order to maintain a healthy and safe working

environment. In inhabited spaces, ventilation systems supply conditioned air.

Ventilation air may be made up entirely of outside air, as in a laboratory, or a

mixture of recirculated internal air and outside air, depending on the building

type. (R. Dodge Woodson, 2012). In this study, it refers to the machine that

circulates fresh air inside the vaccination centers in Taal, Batangas.

REFERENCES:
Bhagat, R.K. and Linden, P.F. (2020) “Displacement ventilation: a viable
ventilation strategy for makeshift hospitals and public buildings to contain
COVID-19 and other airborne diseases.”
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.200680
Fadaei, A. (2021) “Ventilation Systems and COVID-19 Spread: Evidence from a
Systematic Review Study.”
https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/31b17035-1d53-36a4-9cfd-
2d9603d67314/

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Smith, L, Potts, H, Almott R. (2021) “COVID-19 and Ventilation in the Home;
Investigating Peoples’ Perceptions and Self-Reported Behaviour.”
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/11786302211015588
Woodson, R.D. (2012), in Ventilation System from Nuclear Fuel Cycle Science
and Engineering 2012.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/ventilation-system
Lotha,G. (2013), in Human Disease: The Immune Response.
https://www.who.int/health-topics/vaccines-and immunization#tab=tab_1
WHO, (2020), In Coronavirus Disease 2020. https://www.who.int/health-
topics/coronavirus#tab=tab_1
Lowth, M. (2021), in Coronavirus: what are asymptomatic and mild COVID-19?
https://patient.info/news-and-features/coronavirus-what-are-asymptomatic-
and-mild-covid-19
Vearncombe, M. (2020), in Infection Prevention and Control Section 04H-
1H0200 (Airborne Precautions) Page 1
https://www.interiorhealth.ca/AboutUs/QualityCare/IPCManual/Airborne
%20Precautions.pdf
Epstein, D. (2019), in What Is a Pandemic? Confused about what a pandemic is
versus an epidemic? WebMD explains. https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-
flu/features/what-is-pandemic
WHO, (2020), in Vaccines and immunization . https://www.who.int/health-
topics/vaccines-and immunization#tab=tab_1
FDA.gov (2021), FDA approves first COVID 19 vaccine.
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-
first-covid-19-vaccine
Official Gazette.gov.ph (2020), declared “Declaring a State of Calamity
throughout the Philippines due to Corona Virus Disease 2019”
(Proclamation No. 929)
https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/downloads/2021/09sep/20210910-
PROC-1218-RRD.pdf

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