Upplands Väsby language school prevents infection risks with Genano air purifiers

• Under the same roof as the Upplands Väsby language school, there is a Swedish-Finnish school opened in 1993, an English-language school opened in 2010, and a pre-school and leisure center.
• There are a total of about 400 students
• Approximately 70 staff members
• In a language school, children can grow up under the same roof from the age of 1 to the age of 15.
• Security is an important core value for the Foundation and has also been emphasized in the actions taken during the corona pandemic.

Following the outbreak of the corona pandemic, Upplands Väsby Language School in Sweden introduced a number of preventive measures. The latest part of the puzzle was the installation of about 20 Genano air purifiers, whose unique technology eliminates indoor air viruses.

“For us, investing in air purification is a very important preventative measure in these difficult times when we're dealing with corona. Air purification also brings a number of positive additional benefits", says Katja Leffler Peura. Katja is a board member of the school's foundation and responsible for the school's own property, which is surrounded by beautiful nature in Smedby.

Katja Leffler Peura

Comprehensive plan of preventive protection measures

In the early stages of the pandemic, the school's foundation decided to act proactively to ensure the best possible protection for students and staff. For example, all teachers and students from the fifth grade and above have received washable face masks.

Katja Leffler Peura gives more examples of the different measures that were introduced at the beginning of the pandemic:

"Possibility of hand disinfection, enhanced cleaning, avoiding crowds in the dining hall and longer safety distances between students in classrooms. We've done well during the pandemic and had only a few infections. But we wanted to still strengthen our protection with air purification. We are pleased with our cooperation with Genano. We have received many positive bonus effects in addition to good protection against corona. Air purifiers also prevent the spread of other viruses and bacteria and clean the air from pollen."

Air purifiers are important for people with pollen allergy

Staffan Vogel, Genano's indoor air expert, has helped to position the air purifiers so that protection against the spread of infection is as effective as possible. The air purifiers are placed in lounges, hallways, dining rooms and the school library, among others. The layout is done so that the classrooms also have efficient air purification.

"In addition to improved corona safety, a positive effect on the indoor air was noticed immediately after installation," says Katja. “We have a great property with good ventilation, but we still quickly realized that the air felt healthier. The big advantage is also that we can now ventilate the classrooms, even though there is a difficult pollen season going on. When ventilating, it is inevitable that pollen travels inside, but thanks to air purification, it is no longer a problem for allergy sufferers.”

Airborne infections and air purification in schools are not discussed enough

A preventive action plan against the spread of infections has been an important priority for the board of the Language School Foundation, which also led to the decision to invest in air purification in Genano. In April-May, news of an increase in infections was reported in several schools across Sweden. Katja Leffler Peura is surprised that airborne infections are no longer discussed in schools and air purification has not been emphasized as an important protective measure.

“A lot was written about indoor air and the spread of the infection at the beginning of the pandemic, but then the conversation died, which I think is a little weird. It has been important for us to protect well against both droplet infections and airborne infections. We are very pleased that by improving air purification, we can give all our students and school staff the best possible protection during an ongoing pandemic”, concludes Katja Leffler Peura.

Watch a video about Upplands Väsby Language School and their efforts to prevent infections with Genano air purifiers:

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