Schools are using ELC funding from the CDC to purchase air purifiers for classrooms. Yes, that’s right. Funding. Through ELC’s Cooperative Agreement, all 50 states, several large metro areas, and U.S. territories and affiliates receive direct financial support to detect, respond to, control, and prevent infectious diseases. 

These funds were made available through an “opt-out” grant – and many did not “opt-out.”  So how much did your state/area get? Find out here. Or talk to your County Department of Health. But, you better hurry! Funds must be used soon

Also, the American Rescue Plan act provided $122 billion for the Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund to help schools prevent the spread of COVID-19 and recover from its effects, including by improving indoor air quality, so school leaders across the country can act now to improve ventilation in their buildings.

What’s more, the Biden administration unveiled the “National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan” that includes $130 billion available for schools to help finance air quality upgrades.

Additionally, $2.75 billion is available through the American Rescue Plan’s Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (ARP EANS) program. These funds are available to Governors to provide services or assistance to non-public schools that enroll a significant percentage of low-income students and are most impacted by the qualifying emergency. Section D-1 of the plan states that non-public schools can use these funds on “Improving ventilation systems, including windows or portable air purification systems.” 

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz has a plan to improve the air quality against COVID in classrooms. The county executive says he is planning to buy air purifiers for all public, private, and charter school classrooms across the county. The purchase is expected to be made at Austin Air in Buffalo, where the units are manufactured. Read the full story. 

Governor Hochul announces unprecedented support for education in FY 2023 Budget, including $31.5 Billion in school aid.

1. We Use Technology Recommended by CDC, EPA, WHO
2. We can remove up to 99.97% of aerosolized viruses*
3. We Are the Only Clinically Proven Air Purifier
4. We Outperform the Other Guys
5. We Offer an Austin Partnership Program
6. We Offer a Faster, Easier Solution to the Bid Process
7. We’re located in the USA, in Buffalo, NY

Our low-maintenance air purifiers are clinically proven to trap and deactivate COVID-19 particles. Installing them throughout your facility can:

Experts predict that more transmissible variants of COVID-19 are on the horizon, along with a dangerous flu comeback for 2022.  But even if it didn’t happen, we still have more airborne contaminants to deal with…

These indoor pollutants affect student focus, mood, and performance.

The EPA stated this about indoor air quality (IAQ) …

"Poor IAQ can lead to a large variety of health problems and potentially affect comfort, concentration and staff/student performance." (1)

Information like this -- combined with the pandemic -- has set the government on a mission to improve air quality at school.

But before you spend precious and limited American Rescue funds, stop and read on. There are several important things you need to know if you want to be well-informed enough to purchase the most cost-effective solution for your facility.

Yes, some of the classrooms at your school have windows.  But if you think you can simply open them to rid the air of viruses and contaminants - think again!

Many schools with natural ventilation don't have enough windows that actually open. Even if you could open them, you'd still need window fans to direct airflow. Then you'd also need to "HOPE" that the effort improves ventilation.

Yes, it's wise to maximize outdoor air delivery with your HVAC system.  

But to make it effective you're going to need the highest efficiency filters with MERV (minimum efficiency reporting values) 13.  Even if that upgrade is possible, you'll still have to operate the fans continuously.  So, the solution would be quite expensive over the long run.

That’s why the EPA recommends the use of portable air cleaners to increase air cleaning rates in areas where air flow and central filtration are insufficient. 

But not just any portable air cleaner. We’ll get to that in a moment.  First, let's set the record straight about the COVID-19 virus.

Misconceptions About COVID-19 

There are a couple of misconceptions when it comes to combating COVID-19.  One involves surface cleaning.  The other involves virus size and filtration.

Misconception About Surface Cleaning.

Yes, sanitizing is crucial for public safety.  That's why we have visible strategies like "Deep Clean Days" to kill germs in high-tech areas.  But is surface cleaning really the only thing that needs to be done? Remember, COVID-19 is airborne.  

Here's what works better than those disruptive "Deep Clean Days" … proper ventilation and air filtration!

The risk of airborne transmission increases in classroom environments due to poor ventilation and the number of people occupying a small space.  Yes, physical spacing and wearing masks may reduce the risks of droplet transmission.  But improving air quality does a better job at mitigating risk. 

Advanced filtration does two key things:

1.  Removes exhaled viral particles that exist in indoor air.

2.  Lowers virus particle concentration in a room.

A US Department of Defense study concluded … that there was a lower risk of COVID-19 transmission when flying. (2) That's with many people packed inside close quarters.

Here’s the rationale behind it...

Airplanes use advanced ventilation and HEPA filtration systems.  These systems provide more air changes per hour.  Plus, the staff and passengers wear masks.  The extra air changes in the cabin are key when it comes to reducing COVID-19 transmission. 

Now let's apply this concept to classrooms …

Those extra air changes should enable teachers and students to occupy classrooms longer.  That occupation should also occur without increasing the risk of infection.

Imagine this scenario...

An infected person speaking for an hour, in a poorly ventilated classroom.  Each time that infected person speaks COVID-infused droplets expel.  By the act of talking this person increases the risk of infection by 10% to 20%.  But this risk reduces by a factor of 3 if the ventilation system brings in new air to breathe 10 times per hour.  Now imagine combining the effects of ventilation with proper filtration.  Do you think that the results will turn out even better?  You bet!  

But there are a few issues when it comes to HVAC ventilation …

Nontechnical school staff can’t verify that the HVAC system is on, or that it's working properly.

It's also impossible for these epeople to make sure that the filters are fresh.

That’s why Austin Air Purifiers are important in the battle against COVID.  They're easy for anyone to turn on, and it's easy to change the filters.  More on that in just a moment.

Let's finish this section by going over another common misconception around COVID-19. This involves the size of the aerosolized molecule and the ability to filter it.

For example, there's been a huge controversy around the rules of wearing masks.  One moment they seem to work at blocking COVID-19.  The next moment we're told that only N95 face masks are effective.  Then the next moment we hear that those don't work either.

Let's set the record straight, right now!

Each variant of the COVID-19 virus is .125 microns in size. That's great news for us!  Because that means it’s possible to capture these airborne particles.  Exposure reduces when the particles get trapped inside the right filter.  More on that coming up!

Let's put the final touch on the research…

An extensive review carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded…(3)

"Air purifiers that combine HEPA and carbon are the most effective at reducing exposure to the virus."

But there's a caveat. The report also noted that these air purifiers need a combination of HEPA and carbon for maximum efficacy. And they need a large amount.

The Austin Air Purifiers contain both materials in great abundance. In fact, we use more HEPA and carbon than anyone else in the industry.

Our portable air filters are easy for anyone to use, and the units have the advantage of always being “on.” 

Do they filter and reduce COVID-19?

Our purifiers effectively remove up to 99% of bacteria and aerosolized viruses larger than 0.1 microns. And remember … each variant of the COVID-19 virus is .125 microns in size.  Which means our HEPA filters can trap it.

We use 60 sq. ft. of HEPA and up to 15 lbs. of carbon and in our filters.  No one else in the industry comes close to using this amount of material!

The Austin Air School Machine has an extra level of protection against Covid-19.  It also contains a HEGA carbon cloth.  A 2009 third-party study done by the Health Protection Agency in the U.K.  ... used a surrogate virus for testing that was 23-28 nm in diameter (smaller than the COVID-19 virus).  It showed that this activated carbon cloth captured the virus and deactivated it.

Our products have outperformed more than 100 air purifiers in government tests. 

As a result, some of the best-known health organizations have decided to partner with Austin.

Remember, we use activated carbon combined with medical-grade HEPA technology.  The CDC, EPA, and WHO recommend this technology.  We're also trusted by doctors, teachers, professional athletes, first responders, and parents!

Jordan Poyer, Safety for the Buffalo Bills enjoys clean air that is free of pet dander and other airborne contaminants, thanks to Austin Air Systems.

You only get one chance to get this right.

Your health is dependent upon the right choice.

Your staff's health is dependent upon the right choice.

Your student's health is dependent upon the right choice.

So, you'll want to perform your due diligence before you invest in air purifiers.  We've included a way for you to do that right here on this page.

Before we share that information, let's review how choosing the wrong air purifiers will cost you …

Since you're reviewing this information today, that's not going to be the case.

Austin vs Molekule vs Blue Air vs Air Doctor

Introducing...

We're on a mission to get Americans out of the "New Normal", and back to business as usual.  It's a lofty goal we can't take on alone because health experts are predicting that COVID-19 is here to stay.  So, it's going to take our collective efforts.

We can start by making the air around everyone safer to breathe, whether they're at work … or home.

We don't offer discounts on our high-quality products.  But we do have a few incentive programs available for those who are willing to partner with us. 

Check out the options below.  Then schedule a time to talk with an Austin representative.

Incorporate Austin Air into your staff benefits program and your teachers will enjoy special incentives on all our purifiers and filter replacements. (Available for partners only!)

Place a bulk order to install purifiers in all your classrooms, and we’ll give your school special volume pricing.  (Available for partners only!)

Place a bulk order to install purifiers in the classrooms, and we'll give your school volume pricing.  Plus, we'll also extend volume pricing to teachers, staff,  and school families.  (Available for partners only!)

If that wasn’t enough, we also offer an easy solution to the bid process! Now you can order directly and save precious time!

And it’s a bonus that we assemble everything in-house in Buffalo, New York. That’s right. Austin Air maintains the largest air cleaner manufacturing facility in the world, at 480,000 square feet right here in the USA.

References 

1. https://www.epa.gov/iaq-schools/reference-guide-indoor-air-quality-schools
2. Morawska L, Tang JW, Bahnfleth W, et al. How can airborne transmission of COVID-19 indoors be minimised? Environ Int. 2020;142:105832.
3. ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force

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