Environmental Air Sampling of Respiratory Viruses in School Settings: A Scoping Review

Background/Objectives: Schools are recognised sites of exposure to respiratory viruses for students and staff, representing a recognised public health concern. Environmental air sampling has been developed as a non-invasive surveillance approach that can detect circulating respiratory viruses, including those shed by asymptomatic persons, without the need for individual testing. However, the methodological and operational evidence base for this approach within educational settings remains nascent. This scoping review systematically maps the extant literature, characterising targeted respiratory viruses, sampling and analytical methodologies, assessed environmental covariates, and critical knowledge gaps.