The experience with air filter devices, which are primarily intended to filter corona viruses from the room air, is not a positive one in the Neuried community. In the children’s home on Zugspitzstraße, the devices that were purchased by a parents’ initiative are running, but infections with the corona virus could not be ruled out. Seven children have tested positive for Covid-19 at the facility since the devices were running. “That’s a lot,” said Mayor Harald Zipfel (SPD) in the council meeting on Tuesday. In other institutions only two to three cases occurred. His conclusion: the devices do not protect and cannot prevent illness.
The Neuried community feels that its approach has been confirmed: The council decided in autumn not to purchase any mobile air filter devices for primary schools and childcare facilities. The panel was not convinced of its effectiveness. Instead, permanently installed devices should be used in part of the primary school, which should be more effective and at the same time cool the room air in summer.
At the meeting, a statement from the kindergarten management was also presented and it is clear: one would be happy if the devices were removed again, they were loud, disrupted operations and one actually had doubts about their effectiveness. According to Zipfel, however, the devices were not set up in the middle of the room as recommended. There they would disrupt kindergarten operations considerably. They stand in the corners. Paolo Brenner (CSU) could not imagine that 30 percent of the schools in Bavaria that had purchased such devices would have received the wrong advice. Mechthild von der Mülbe (SPD) thinks this is possible. It takes “courage” to resist parenting pressure. Neuried dared.
Meanwhile, the Graefelfinger celebrate that all classrooms at the three schools and all community childcare facilities have been equipped with air filter devices. However, the municipality relies on a special procedure: Here, devices were purchased that enable air purification and UV-C irradiation. The virus is supposed to be rendered harmless using UV light. The municipality’s project partner is the Graefelfing-based company Dr. Hönle AG UV Technology.