Lesson 3: How Does the Use of Sanitizer Stations Affect the Spread of Influenza Through a School?

Some schools have placed hand-sanitizing stations throughout the school to impact the spread of certain illnesses, such as influenza. Can the use of sanitizer stations by students reduce the number of infections due to influenza?

Doing the science

1. Start the Flu Transmission Simulation by clicking on the "Sim" tab.
2. Click on the "Sanitizer Station" button under the Factor menu on the left-bottom of the screen.
3. Click on the "Run" button at the bottom center of the screen.
4. Note the Progress bar, which shows time running for a six-week period.
5. Click on the "1" icon on the Progress bar.
6. Count and record in Table 1 the number of infected students at the end of the first week of the flu outbreak.
7. Click on the "2" icon on the Progress bar.
8. Count and record in Table 1 the number of infected students at the end of the second week of the flu outbreak.
9. Repeat this process until you have counted and recorded data for all six weeks.