The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is extending a program that provides portable air ventilation units to schools across the state.
The program began because of the pandemic; however, the air purifiers are not only beneficial to getting rid of viruses.
The units also help clean the air of allergens and other particulate matter. As a recent example, the recent air quality alerts from Canadian Wildfires.
“We know that by helping kids feel more comfortable by preventing more illnesses, that we’re taking steps to promote learning and education,” Michigan’s chief medical executive Doctor Natasha Bagdasarian said. “Every little bit that we can do is helpful to Michigan kids.”
Bagdasarian says some newly built schools with updated ventilation systems may not need the portable units.
“We have a lot of different needs in different schools around the state,” she said. “A newer building that has modern air handling may not need these types of portable air purifiers as much as older buildings.”