Why Protecting Students and Teachers During Flu Season is Crucial 為什麼在流感季節保護學生和教師至關重要

As flu season intensifies, children and students become one of the most vulnerable groups to respiratory illnesses. Schools and childcare facilities, with their high-density populations and frequent close interactions, are hotspots for the rapid transmission of viruses. While personal hygiene measures like handwashing and wearing masks are essential, they only address part of the problem. Contaminated surfaces and inadequate cleaning routines often remain overlooked, creating environments where flu viruses can thrive. Protecting students and teachers during flu season isn’t just about health—it’s about ensuring continuity in education and reducing the hidden costs of absenteeism.

Here’s why schools need to take action now and how advanced disinfection solutions can help.

The Hidden Cost of Flu: Teachers and Students Both Pay the Price

Flu doesn’t just disrupt student learning; it also takes a significant toll on teachers and staff:

• Teacher Absenteeism:
  According to a study by Harvard University’s Center for Education Policy Research, teacher absenteeism costs U.S. schools $25 billion annually, with illnesses like the flu being a major contributor. When teachers are sick, schools often scramble to find substitutes, leading to increased operational costs and disruptions in learning continuity.

• Student Absenteeism:
  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that flu is responsible for 38 million missed school days annually in the U.S. This affects students’ academic performance, as prolonged absences can lead to falling behind in lessons and lower test scores. A child’s frequent illnesses can also impact their emotional well-being, leading to increased anxiety and social isolation.

• Impact on Overall School Performance:
  High rates of absenteeism—among students and teachers—can lower school performance metrics. A study in Pediatrics found that recurrent illnesses in children under 5 can weaken their immune systems and delay developmental milestones, which can have long-term impacts on academic success (Pediatrics, 2020).

It’s not just about teachers and students. Sick students mean stressed parents. When parents know their child’s school is taking every precaution to protect their health, parents are reassured while building trust and strengthening the school’s reputation.

How Long Do Flu Viruses Survive on Surfaces?

Many educators focus on cleaning shared surfaces, but without the right tools and processes, viruses can persist and continue spreading:

• Flu Virus Survival Times:

  • On non-porous surfaces (e.g., desks, doorknobs): Up to 48 hours.

  • On porous surfaces (e.g., paper, cloth): Up to 12 hours.

  • In the air (via droplets): Viable for several hours, depending on humidity and temperature.

  • On skin: Up to 5 minutes after contact with a contaminated surface.

These findings from the World Health Organization (WHO) underscore the importance of frequent and thorough cleaning, especially in high-touch areas like desks, chairs, playground equipment, door handles and even shared books.

Why Manual Cleaning and Disinfection Fall Short

While manual cleaning is an essential part of school hygiene, it has significant limitations:

1. Human Error:
   Manual cleaning relies heavily on thoroughness, consistency, and training. Under time pressures, high-touch areas can be missed, or surfaces may not be cleaned with the correct technique to eliminate pathogens effectively.

2. Inconsistent Disinfection:
   Traditional cleaning tools like mops and rags can inadvertently spread germs from one surface to another if not properly sanitized between uses.

3. Time-Consuming:
   Disinfecting large spaces like classrooms or auditoriums manually is labor-intensive and disrupts daily school operations.

4. Efficacy of Chemical Application:
   Many schools use disinfectants inefficiently—by either applying too much or too little—reducing their effectiveness against viruses like influenza.

The Professional Choice: Avalon Steritech's Advanced Hygiene Solutions

To address these challenges, Avalon Steritech offers advanced disinfection solutions trusted by major organizations, including MTR Corporation and other large international corporations. Our technologies are designed to deliver consistent, hospital-grade disinfection with minimal disruption:

• Whiz Gambit:

  • An autonomous robotic disinfection system ideal for large spaces like classrooms, hallways, and auditoriums.

  • Eliminates over 99.9% of pathogens on surfaces, achieving consistent results beyond the limitations of manual cleaning.

  • Reduces ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) readings—a marker for contamination—by more than 99.5%, as demonstrated in a case study conducted at HKVNS Alumni Association Kindergarten.

• Gambit Trolley:

  • A portable, manual disinfection unit perfect for smaller spaces or targeted cleaning (e.g., desks, chairs, and door handles).

  • Designed for flexibility and ease of use, making it a practical addition to any school’s cleaning routine.

• Nanocyn:

  • A natural, non-toxic disinfectant safe for use around children. It effectively eliminates flu viruses without harmful chemicals, making it perfect for classrooms and shared spaces.

• Evicate Pro:

  • A professional-grade disinfectant designed for deep cleaning in high-contamination areas like restrooms, cafeterias, and waste disposal areas.

These professional solutions have been adopted by corporations like MTR to maintain hygiene in high-traffic areas, demonstrating their reliability and effectiveness in demanding environments.

Real-World Success: HKVNS Alumni Association Kindergarten

In October 2023, our Whiz Gambit was deployed at HKVNS Alumni Association Kindergarten to combat environmental contamination during flu season. The results were impressive:

• Classroom ATP readings dropped from 6,094 to 29 RLU (Relative Light Units).

• Playground equipment ATP readings fell from the thousands to as low as 18 RLU.

• Student absenteeism decreased by 20% compared to the same period in the previous year.

These outcomes highlight how advanced disinfection technologies can create safer, healthier learning environments.

Special Offer for Schools: Affordable Protection This Flu Season

To help schools prepare for flu season, Avalon Steritech is offering a limited-time special pricing:

• Whiz Gambit: Lease for HK$4,800 per month

• Gambit Trolley: Lease for HK$4,800 for 3 months

This affordable solution ensures your school can implement professional-grade disinfection without long-term financial commitments.

Take Action to Protect Your School Community

This flu season, don’t let viruses disrupt your school’s operations and your students’ education. By addressing environmental contamination with advanced disinfection solutions, you can reduce absenteeism, build trust with parents, and set a new standard for hygiene in your school.

隨著流感季節加劇，兒童和學生成為呼吸系統疾病中最脆弱的群體之一。學校和托育機構人員密集，師生之間的頻繁接觸，使這些場所成為病毒快速傳播的熱點。雖然勤洗手和戴口罩等個人衛生措施非常重要，但它們僅僅解決了問題的一部分。被污染的表面和不足的清潔程序往往被忽視，這無疑為流感病毒提供了滋生的溫床。

在流感季節保護學生和教師不僅關乎健康，更是為了確保教育的延續性，並減少因缺勤而造成的隱性成本。

以下是學校為什麼需要立即採取行動，以及先進消毒解決方案如何提供幫助的原因。

流感的隱性成本：學生和教師都需要承受的代價

流感不僅干擾學生的學習，也對教師和工作人員造成了重大影響：

教師缺勤：

根據哈佛大學教育政策研究中心的研究，教師缺勤每年給美國學校造成 250億美元 的經濟損失，而流感是主要原因之一。當教師生病時，學校往往需要臨時尋找代課教師，不僅增加了運營成本，還對教學的連續性產生了干擾。

學生缺勤：

美國疾病控制與預防中心（CDC） 的數據顯示，每年流感導致美國學生因病缺勤 3800萬天。頻繁的缺勤會影響學生的學業表現，導致課堂內容跟不上，考試成績下降。對於年幼的孩子來說，頻繁生病還可能影響他們的情緒健康，導致焦慮增加和社交孤立。

對整體學校表現的影響：

學生和教師的高缺勤率會降低學校的整體表現指標。一項發表在《Pediatrics》的研究指出，5歲以下兒童的反覆感染可能削弱免疫系統，並延遲發展里程碑，對學業成功產生長期影響（Pediatrics, 2020）。

這不僅僅是教師和學生的問題。生病的學生意味著焦慮的家長。當家長知道學校正在採取一切預防措施保護孩子的健康時，他們會感到放心，從而增強對學校的信任，並提升學校的聲譽。

流感病毒在表面上能存活多久？

許多教育工作者專注於清理共享表面，但如果缺乏正確的工具和程序，病毒仍可能持續存在並繼續傳播：

流感病毒的存活時間：

• 非多孔表面（如書桌、門把手）：可存活 長達48小時。

• 多孔表面（如紙張、布料）：可存活 長達12小時。

• 空氣中（通過飛沫）：在適當的濕度和溫度下，可存活數小時。

• 皮膚上：接觸污染表面後可存活 長達5分鐘。

根據世界衛生組織（WHO）的研究，這些數據強調了頻繁且徹底清潔的重要性，特別是在高接觸區域，如書桌、椅子、遊樂設施、門把手，甚至共享書籍上。

為什麼手動清潔和消毒存在不足？

雖然手動清潔是學校衛生的重要組成部分，但它存在顯著的局限性：

1. 人為錯誤：
   手動清潔高度依賴操作的徹底性、一致性和培訓。在時間緊迫的情況下，高接觸區域可能會被忽視，或者表面未使用正確技術清潔，從而無法有效消除病原體。

2. 不一致的消毒效果：
   傳統清潔工具（如拖把和抹布）如果未妥善消毒，可能會將病菌從一個表面傳播到另一個表面。

3. 耗時耗力：
   手動清潔像課室或禮堂這樣的大空間既耗時又費力，對日常校務的正常運作造成干擾。

4. 化學應用的效率不足：
   許多學校在使用消毒劑時效率低下——要麼使用過多，要麼使用過少——從而降低了對流感病毒等病原體的效果。

專業之選：Avalon Steritech 的先進衛生解決方案

為了解決以上挑戰，Avalon Steritech 提供了先進的消毒解決方案，受到港鐵公司及其他大型國際企業的信賴。我們的技術專為提供一致的醫院級消毒效果而設計，且對日常運營干擾極小：

Whiz Gambit：

• 一款自主機器人消毒系統，非常適合課室、走廊和禮堂等大空間。

• 能夠消除表面上超過 99.9% 的病原體，有效解決人工清潔的局限性。

• 根據港同學會幼稚園的案例研究，Whiz Gambit 可將表面污染的 ATP（三磷酸腺苷）讀數減少超過 99.5%。

Gambit 手推車：

• 一款便攜式手動消毒設備，非常適合用於較小空間或針對性清潔（如桌椅、門把手）。

• 設計靈活，易於操作，是學校清潔日常工作的實用補充。

Nanocyn：

• 一款天然、無毒的消毒劑，安全用於兒童周圍，無有害化學物質，特別適合課室和共享空間。

Evicate Pro：

• 專業級消毒劑，用於高污染區域（如洗手間、餐廳和垃圾處理區）的深層清潔。

這些專業解決方案被港鐵等大型機構採用，用於高流量區域的衛生維護，充分證明了其在嚴苛環境中的可靠性和有效性。

真實案例：漢師幼稚園(龍總)

2023年10月，Whiz Gambit 在漢師幼稚園(龍總)投入使用，以應對流感季的環境污染。成效顯著：

• 課室 ATP 讀數從 6,094 降至 29 RLU（相對光單位）。

• 遊樂設施的 ATP 讀數從數千降至 18 RLU。

• 學生缺勤率相比去年同期減少了 20%。

這些結果表明，先進的消毒技術可以創造更安全、更健康的學習環境。

學校專屬優惠：流感季的實惠保護

為幫助學校做好流感季準備，Avalon Steritech 現正推出限時特價優惠：

• Whiz Gambit：每月租賃僅 HK$4,800

• Gambit 手推車：租賃三個月僅 HK$4,800

這項實惠的解決方案，讓您的學校能以低成本實現專業級消毒，而無需長期財務承擔。

立即行動，保護您的校園社區

在這個流感季節，別讓病毒干擾學校運作和學生教育。通過先進的環境消毒解決方案，您可以降低缺勤率，增強家長的信任，並為學校衛生樹立新標準。