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Earlier this year, Erie County announced that HEPA purifiers would be placed in all public, private and charter schools in the county to combat the spread of COVID-19 in the classroom. The purifiers, made by Austin Air Systems, were delivered to schools this month.
"It is our hope that these air units give these classrooms maximum ventilation and air exchanges and ultimately help to maximize the time that the kids and staff have time in school," Erie County Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein said.
A total of 12,500 of Austin Air HEPA purifiers are now in place in all classrooms in Erie County.
"The air purifiers have really allowed us to open schools in a safe and comfortable environment for teachers, for staff, for students and for parents," Dr. Rubie Harris, Grand Island Central School District assistant superintendent for business and finance, said.
Austin Air Systems president Lauren McMillan says the filters are proven to reduce all kinds of contaminants in the air, including COVID-19. They are designed to last five years and run 24/7.
"It's got a HEPA filter and a carbon filter and actually pulls in air from all four sides through the filter. As it exits, it creates a circular motion, so it's getting all the air in the room as it filters," McMillan explained.
McMillan says the filters also work against other particulates, chemicals and gases. Dr. Burstein says improved air quality in school environments have other potential health benefits as well.
"For example, children and adults with asthma and allergies will feel much better with an air filtration system filtering out all those allergens and pollen and dust and everything else that can make people ill throughout the school year," Dr. Burstein said.
Dr. Burstein is optimistic that schools will see less transmission of respiratory illnesses due to the filters and people knowing to stay home when they're sick. Congressman Brian Higgins says a portion of the $180 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds from the American Rescue Plan was used to purchase the filters. He says school districts in Erie and Niagara counties also received $400 million in direct federal funding through the American Rescue plan.
"This includes more than $2.6 million for the Grand Island School District. This funding is addressing the learning loss created during the pandemic and helping to cover other expenses to improve the health and safety of students and teachers," Higgins said.
Dr. Burstein urges children and adults to keep all their immunizations up to date, and to stay at home if sick.