Georgia Southern Announces $15.7M Contract for Covid Mitigation in K-12 Schools

Georgia Southern University is stepping up efforts to protect Georgia’s K-12 students from COVID-19. The University’s Institute for Health Logistics and Analytics (IHLA) has garnered a $15.7 million contract with the Georgia Department of Public Health to manage COVID-19 mitigation efforts in K-12 schools to help keep them operating safely.

“Despite the belief by many that COVID-19 is no longer a concern, the virus that causes COVID-19 continues to have an impact across the globe,” said Jessica Schwind, Ph.D., director of IHLA. “This impact, coupled with increasing rates of flu and respiratory syncytial virus, can be readily observed in our K-12 schools.”

IHLA staff will support the implementation of mitigation strategies in the schools through resource acquisition and delivery. Schwind’s team will review proposals and offer assistance to the schools to ensure items ordered and delivered can effectively stop the spread of COVID-19. Some mitigation efforts include high-efficiency particulate air fan/filtration systems and other personal protective equipment to reduce exposure to the virus.

“This is a comprehensive project that will go a long way toward keeping our youngest Georgians safe,” said Schwind, who also is an associate professor of epidemiology in Georgia Southern’s Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health. “This project provides funding for schools to upgrade their ventilation and filtration systems, which will in turn help mitigate other common airborne viruses. It’s one of the most powerful tools we have to reduce the overall impact of respiratory diseases.”

All public and private K-12 schools in Georgia are eligible to participate in the project upon successful enrollment with Georgia Southern.