"A home air purifier can help someone who is sick when used correctly"
As the world deals with COVID-19 (Coronavirus), the importance of health improvement, protection and monitoring is highlighted.
Common medical equipment has become scarce and mostly designated to clinic and hospital use. Porttackracing.com is dedicated to highlighting and distributing products which aid in healthcare.
How does an Air Purifier work and when should you use one?
It's a good idea to use an air purifier to improve the quality of the air you inhale.
Air purifiers work by filtering and removing particles such as allergens, dust, pollutants like cooking fumes and toxic gasses released from cleaning detergents.
Can an Air Purifier prevent COVID-19 by filtering virus particles traveling in the air?
Sourcing Consumer Reports, air purifiers may be worthwhile in a few specific cases surrounding coronavirus.
" ..understanding of how the coronavirus spreads is evolving, but the current thinking is that it travels via droplets expelled from the body through coughing, talking, and breathing. While most of these droplets fall to the ground quickly, some research suggests smaller particles may remain in the air for longer. "
"If someone in your household is sick with COVID-19, running an air purifier in their quarantine room may help protect other family members or caregivers. The same goes for healthcare workers who are self-quarantining when they come home."
Devices which use HEPA grade filters (filters at least 99.97 percent of particles that are precisely 0.3 micron in diameter) are the golden standard for air purification. While the Naval Coronavirus is only 0.125 microns in size - the droplets it commonly travels within from coughing, sneezing and talking are around 1 micron in size.
“In theory, if an air purifier removes viruses from the air, it reduces concentrations in the room and thus reduces the potential for exposure,” says Linsey Marr, an environmental engineer and professor at Virginia Tech who specializes in airborne disease transmission, air quality, and nanotechnology. “So there is a mechanistic reason to think that air purifiers could help reduce transmission.”
Case examples of Air Purifier use during similar viral pandemics
Jeffrey Siegel, an indoor air quality expert and professor of civil engineering at the University of Toronto who has researched portable air purifiers with various airborne particles.
“... we can infer from what we know for similar viruses, like SARS," he says, that there is reason to think air purifiers might help in some situations.
During the 2003 SARS out beak, the Hong Kong Hospital Authority recommended hospitals use air purifiers to help reduce airborne transmission to healthcare workers in wards were isolation was not available. The CDC in the U.S. also recommended using air purifiers to reduce the concentration of the SARS virus in hospital rooms with poor ventilation.
Purchasing the right Air Purifier.
To maximise the effect of using an air purifier, it's important to use the correct device for the size of the room for intended use. Draw speed is an important factor to consider as the faster an air purifier can cycle air through the device, the higher the chances are of it capturing virus particles.
As most particles that carry the Coronavirus drop to the floor or other surfaces, it is advised that to clean your home frequently. The frequent cleaning of surfaces leads to extra detergent use, causing extra release of dangerous gasses which are detrimental to our health.
How to use an Air Purifier at home (when someone is sick) :
- Siegel suggests placing the unit three feet from the person who is sick with COVID-19. “We know that close contact is a main transmission route so I would rather people have an air purifier on low speed near the patient rather than farther away on super high speed,” he says.
- Run it 24 hours a day on the highest setting that won’t disturb the sick person’s sleep
- Keep the air purifier separated from anything that can obstruct airflow, such as curtains or furniture, and keep the door to the room closed.
- Don't touch the air purifier when it's in use.