We are at a precipice. The World Health Organization has declared clean indoor air a fundamental human right, and ventilation is a key component of ensuring clean indoor air. The current standards governing our ventilation rates are not based on health and have not been for decades. There does seem to be alignment forming on health-focused ventilation targets. A group of more than 40 international experts wrote a commentary in Science in March 2024 proposing indoor air quality standards, wherein they recommended … 30 cfm/p17; the same target recommended by The Lancet COVID-19 Commission,13 and the same health-focused ventilation target used 100 years ago. The lessons from our past combined with recent experiences present an unambiguous call to action: to recommit to ventilation not as a technical standard for minimally acceptable conditions but as a cornerstone of public health.