Aug 27, 2024 09:00:00

Using air purifiers in daycare centers reduces children's sick days by 30%

It has been found that simply installing air purifiers in facilities where young children gather, such as daycare centers and kindergartens, can reduce the risk of respiratory infections among children and reduce sick leave for both children and parents.

The effect of room air cleaners on infection control in day care centers - ScienceDirect

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950362024000043

Study: Air purifier use at daycare centers cut kids' sick days by a third | Yle News | Yle
https://yle.fi/a/74-20062381

Study demonstrates effectiveness of air cleaners at daycare centers - World Socialist Web Site
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/04/02/vpoj-a02.html

Ville A. Vartiainen and his colleagues from the University of Helsinki chose two child welfare facilities in Finland as their study subjects and installed air purifiers in each one. The study was conducted during a six-month period from November to the end of April, when colds and flu are most prevalent.

Air purifiers are expensive, and there is limited space available in the facilities, so Vartiainen and his colleagues used mathematical models to determine the optimal placement of the purifiers to maximize infection reduction. As a result, 22 air purifiers were installed in Facility A and 23 in Facility B. The air purifiers were 14 different models from six manufacturers, and most of them were operated at low speeds to reduce noise.

Comparing facilities with and without air purifiers, it was found that the risk of contracting respiratory infections was reduced by an average of 53% in Facility A, which had air purifiers installed, and 37% in Facility B. As a result, children's sick leave was reduced by about 30%, and the number of days parents had to take time off work to care for sick children was also reduced.

'In facilities where air purifiers were used, there was a clear reduction in children becoming ill. Illness often spreads to the children's parents and facility staff, leading to adult absenteeism. The Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health estimates that 'sick leave costs 1.3% of the country's gross domestic product,' so reduced absenteeism also translates into reduced economic losses. These benefits may even outweigh the costs of introducing air purifiers,' said Vartiainen and his colleagues.

'Research around the world has shown that purifying the air reduces airborne pathogens, but this kind of study has never been done in daycare centers or schools before,' said Eni Sanmark of the University of Helsinki, who was involved in the study. 'In Finland, employers pay about 370 euros (about 60,000 yen) for each day of sick leave, so if we can reduce illness, it will be a big savings.'