Overview

Kindergartens and pre-schools are frequently exposed to high levels of contaminated indoor air. Classrooms, cafeterias and common areas, even when cleaned to high standards, are reservoirs for biological and chemical contaminants, including bacteria, viruses, mould spores, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These infectious microbes can hover airborne for hours, with the risk of being swallowed or inhaled, and can travel long distances before landing on surfaces that children touch. And children, with immature immune systems and narrower airways than adults, are particularly vulnerable to their harmful effects.

Problem

Kindergarten Mamos Delne is a medium-sized educational facility in Vilnius, Lithuania. Caring for forty-five children from nursery to pre-school level, Mamos Delne pride themselves on being a continuous learning organization, open to educational innovations to ensure the health and well-being of the children in their care. community-acquired gastroenteritis in children. The virus is highly contagious and easily spread through hand to mouth contact and through the air, from coughing and sneezing. The outbreak resulted in the infection of 70% of children in the facility.

To create a safe and healthy indoor environment for the children in their care, Mamos Delne started looking for a clean air solution.

Solution

Mamos Delne was introduced to Novaerus by a local distributor. After learning about the safety and efficacy of low-energy plasma technology, and that Novaerus products are manufactured in Ireland using medical-grade materials, they decided to try the technology and mounted a Novaerus Protect 800 unit in each of their three classrooms. Novaerus plasma technology is used in thousands of facilities around the world and has been shown in dozens of independent studies to remove bacteria, viruses, mould spores, VOCs and odours from indoor air.

Results

Two months after a trial installation, a child in Mamos Delne’s care became infected with rotavirus. This time, instead of the 70% infection rate previously experienced by the facility, the virus was easily contained, with only a handful of children experiencing any symptoms. After the trial period had ended, the Novaerus units were removed from the facility. Shortly after, Mamos Delne was hit with another outbreak of rotavirus, this time infecting 100% of the children in the facility. Following this outbreak, the parents of the children in Mamos Delne’s care demanded the Novaerus units be reinstalled.

Mamos Delne plans to continue the use of Novaerus products and will recommend them enthusiastically to other educational facilities.