County officials consider ‘AirShield’ air‑sanitizing pilot at Riverside nursing home to cut infections and absenteeism

Strafford County officials and public health advisers discussed a proposed no‑cost pilot from AirShield/Virus Killer to install air‑sanitizing equipment at county facilities, with Riverside nursing home identified as the preferred pilot site. Presenters said the technology uses atmospheric plasma (ionized air) to reduce airborne pathogens, and they asked the county to provide baseline infection and absenteeism data so the vendor can evaluate impact during the pilot period.

Nick Compass (presenting for the vendor engagement) and public health practitioner Tory Jenison described the product and the pilot structure. Jenison explained the underlying approach: "It's called atmospheric plasma... you're really just taking a subset of a gas and giving it this new strength to then go out and use that extra charge to bust up pathogen molecules. Ionization. It is exactly ionization." She said the technology has been used in clinical and surface applications and can be deployed at room, floor or whole‑HVAC levels.

County medical and facility leaders noted Riverside already collects infection‑control statistics, employee absenteeism and vaccine uptake—data the vendor would use to establish a baseline. Riverside leadership said they track infection control and staff absenteeism closely and run vaccination clinics for residents and staff; they described high resident vaccination rates and active staff incentive measures.

The vendor proposal, presented as a no‑cost pilot, would require the county to assign a point of contact and provide historical infection and absenteeism data and operational cooperation. The vendor has partnered with a data analytics group (described in the meeting as affiliated with MIT) to measure before‑and‑after effects and to help build a business case for wider adoption. Jenison said the vendor has seen measurable reductions elsewhere and wants to "continue to build their learning model of where does it work and how does it work." County staff noted the coming flu season and the value of proving an intervention before surveys and peak respiratory season.

Commissioners and county facility leaders agreed to host an initial virtual scoping meeting with the vendor and to invite relevant facility and court contacts for broader campus discussion. The county emphasized Riverside as the most suitable first pilot site due to its existing surveillance records and survey reporting processes. There was no recorded vote; the county agreed to set up the pilot discussion and provide the vendor with points of contact and data access for the feasibility assessment.