Coronavirus has stayed long enough to concern people all around the world.Since March 2020 to present a total of 1.15 million deaths have been reported in the entire world. Even after ockdowns and minimal social contact the virus still continues to spread and worry the people. Especially in Pakistan, where in the last 24 hours cases have passed 700. As we adapt to the new normal we keep asking ourselves questions like, What masks should we wear? Do masks actually protect us? What sanitizers should we use? Can air purifiers protect us against the virus?
Here we will discuss and try to answer the last question, whether air purifiers can protect us from the novel Coronavirus or not.
Note that the information and stats mentioned in the article are based on the information that is available publicly.
Do Air Purifiers Actually Work?
One of the most common ambiguities of people regarding the air purifiers is that they actually purify the air from bacteria or not. Air purifier companies usually do not advertise their products as health products, instead they focus on the various harmful substances and the effectiveness with which their air purifiers purify the air. To answer the question simply: yes, they do purify the air generally. Especially if the device is using a HEPA ( high efficiency particulate air) filter.
Do They Guard Against Coronavirus?
Air purifiers are standardized to have HEPA filters and they are to remove 99.97% of particles with a size of 0.3 micrometer. HEPA filters are specifically designed to remove the particles using special carbon filters. With such a filter, pollens and droplets carrying covid-19 can be filtered from the air. However, you must not completely rely on the air purifier device as it can not guarantee you 100% safety from the virus. A person can still contract the virus from an infected patient if they have any type of contact or even are in close proximity to each other. You must keep in mind that the air purifier device might capture the virus but it does not kill the virus.
What Other Ways Can Air Purifiers Help us?
Air purifiers using HEPA filters generally do purify the air and make sure that the air we breathe in is clean. This is very beneficial for adults and children who suffer from asthma. However, you should not rely on the air purifiers as they do not reduce the rate of asthma in adults and children.
In conclusion air purifiers can help us against the coronavirus but they are not the complete solution to it. We must keep the rest of the precautions and measures such as, wearing masks, avoiding social gatherings and avid use of hand sanitizers in mind. However, in the context of Pakistan air purifiers are not that much popular among our households and offices whereas installing one would be a great initiative and an extra set of precautions that we can take.
