Microbial Growth in HVAC System Triggers Asthma, Forces Middle School to Return To Remote Learning

After starting in-person classes more than two weeks ago, the West Rowan Middle School in North Carolina is returning to online learning for a few weeks after discovering microbial growth in the school's HVAC system.

The Rowan County Public Health inspected the school's air conditioning system on Thursday, August 18, after a parent said there could be molds in the school. However, West Rowan Middle School administrators said they hired an independent contractor who did separate tests.

The school received a negative report for molds a day before the public health inspection, per WCNC. Yet Rowan County Public Health recommended more cleaning and sanitation for the school, which means the site must be temporarily vacated after finding a high presence of aspergillus/penicillium in the air.

The parents were told of the recommendations from the public health office regarding its decision to shift to online learning temporarily. Some parents had to scramble and find care for their kids since they would be at work during the online classes.

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Molds in school likely trigger student's asthma

The shift comes as a mother said that her daughter's asthma could have been triggered by the molds in the HVAC system at West Rowan Middle School. The unnamed parent said her daughter had wheezing and breathing difficulties since returning to school two weeks ago.

The child also told WSCOTV that her nose bled for the first time. The school had to call her mother because the nosebleeding happened three times in one morning.

The mom said they went to the doctor, who has been tracking her breathing levels since she had asthma. The daughter had a normal rate of 133 before school started, but it was down to 66 after her asthma attack in school. The parent admitted she was the person who reported the school for molds to the public health department.

However, four other parents also attested that their kids had asthma issues when school started. Some of the kids were coughing hard, aside from their breathing difficulties.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, aspergillus and penicillium are the most common fungal spores that people come in contact with daily, usually without any breathing issues. However, those with weakened immune systems may develop a strong reaction to the molds.

Kids disappointed to return to online learning

Some of the students expressed disappointment in shifting to online classes again, per MyFox8. They were not expecting to start the school year learning remotely after two years of the pandemic.

The school district said they do not have a precise timeline for returning to in-person classes as it usually takes more than ten days to clean the HVAC system thoroughly. The process is also necessary to ensure that viral particles, such as COVID-19, are reduced and mitigated.

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