More than 250,000 children across the U.S. have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last week now that schools are back in session.
“Last week, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) released a new report on the surge of positive COVID-19 cases amongst children and adolescents, noting that there have been more than 750,000 confirmed cases in the last month amidst back-to-school season. In just the last week, more than 250,000 children have tested positive for this virus, and pediatric hospital admissions are at nearly their highest level since the pandemic began.
It is crucial school districts take action to mitigate against further climbing COVID-19 cases by adopting readily available and trusted technologies specifically tailored toward creating safer indoor air quality for students. As evidenced by the rising case numbers, it is apparent that mask mandates and surface cleaning alone aren’t enough to stop the spread with our youth, particularly as vaccines are still not available to those younger than 12.
As school districts continue to welcome students and teachers back while looking for ways to safeguard their health, Steril-Aire encourages them to take a comprehensive approach to combatting the COVID-19 virus within their buildings. This includes updating dated ventilation technology that can have an impact on indoor air quality and virus transmission. A recent Johns Hopkins report noted that school districts should make this process a top priority and use proven technologies to make improvements, such as HEPA filtration or ultraviolet germicidal irradiation emitters for HVAC systems. In fact, the report found that these updates are a more cost-effective public health measure than deep cleaning procedures. The report further notes that school districts can use flexible funds from the American Rescue Plan to make these updates and help keep students, teachers, and families safe from the COVID-19 virus and future respiratory illnesses.
The AAP and CHA report found that, while severe illness and death are uncommon in children with COVID-19, there are still unknowns in terms of the long-term health effects the virus may have on this population. While this news seems dire, there are solutions to combat this uptick in pediatric cases. Steril-Aire, an industry pioneer and early advocate of UVC technology, provides high energy germicidal UVC and HEPA filtration solutions, which decontaminate the air within buildings and classrooms, with UVC technology targeting the DNA of microorganisms, destroying their cells, and effectively eliminating replication.”
Please visit steril-aire.com to learn more about the science behind Steril-Aire’s UVC germicidal lamps and emitters as well as how the products can be used to protect those in our schools.
