Air Disinfection in Day Schools

Abstract

The epidemic spread of childhood contagion in irradiated classrooms during the winter months appears to have been checked for 6 yrs. at the Germantown Friends School, and for 3 yrs. at 2 primary schools at Swarthmore. Measles, mumps and chicken pox prevailed during the same period in unirradiated classrooms in the schools and in nearby primary schools. Epidemic spread of mumps in irradiated classrooms of one of the schools above exposed during the fall was checked with the onset of cold weather. Irradiation failed to control epidemic spread of mumps during the moist, mild, autumn weather, suggesting that the viricidal activity of u.-v. light decreases with himidity. When respiratory infection is normally most prevalent during the cold weather and indoor air is driest, irradiation was efficient. The importance of the classroom in the epidemic spread of childhood contagion through the community of Swarthmore was revealed by radiant disinfection of the air of the primary schools.