SEMO installs air purifiers in classrooms to help combat coronavirus

Southeast Missouri State University, in a new effort to keep in-person education possible during the continued pandemic, has installed 277 air purifiers in classrooms.

“Every classroom on main (Cape Girardeau) campus will get a (unit), including River Campus, plus classrooms in Sikeston and Kennett,” said Kathy Harper, Southeast’s director of university communications.

Harper said the Alen BreatheSmart units range in price from $349 to $649 and are being paid for out of funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The purifiers, according to Alen, are devices covering up to 1,100 square feet, which the manufacturer promises will remove up to 99% of dust, pollen, pet dander, mold spores and other airborne particles 0.3 microns or larger.

“Basically, the (purifiers) are high efficiency filters with a fan to circulate air within the (classroom) space to indoor air quality,” said Harper, adding that larger classroom spaces at Southeast will get two BreatheSmart units.

The manufacturer’s packaging promises the following results:

“Smart Sensor technology detects airborne pollutants and automatically adjusts airflow to protect you while limiting energy use and maximizing filter life.”

Southeast’s 23-member Emergency Response Team put together a “Protect the Nest” initiative in early 2020 in response to COVID-19.

The university’s website states ERT “will continue (to take) necessary actions to protect the health and safety of our university community and to ensure the continuity of our operations.”

Southeast reports a total combined enrollment of 10,001 undergraduate and graduate students in Fall 2020, a 6% decline from the same period a year earlier.

The university eliminated fall break this semester in order to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus and students will receive only remote-delivered learning after Thanksgiving.