Do Air Purifiers Help Protect Against Viruses Like COVID-19?

Studies show that wearing a mask properly and consistently practicing good social distancing can significantly reduce the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) through droplet transmission.

Can air purifiers help protect against viruses like COVID-19? The answer here lies in knowing how how air purifiers work and how viruses, in particular COVID-19, are transmitted. Then, you can assess whether an air purifier will help protect you from viruses in the air.

How mucus-based viruses are transmitted

COVID-19 is a newly emerging disease. Through scientific and medical research, we are still refining our understanding about how it spreads.

COVID-19 is a contagious infection caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). When the virus contacts mucous membranes, like those in the eyes, nose, and mouth, infection can result in illness and possibly death.

Much like measles and influenza, COVID-19 is a viral infection and can be spread through aerosol transmission.3,4 However, it can be transmitted by other means.

In general, mucus-based viral infections can occur through

How an air purifier filter works

Air purifier working principle classification. The first category: passive purification category (filter purification category) second category: active purification category (no filter category) third category: dual purification category (active purification + passive purification) most of the upper air purifiers in the market mainly include: Chassis housing, the filter service life is determined by the motor, the purification efficiency is determined by the filter section, and the quietness is determined by the air duct design, housing, housing, filter part and motor.

The air purifier filters and purifies the indoor air without opening the window and circulates the indoor air.

Engineers and doctors say these devices could play an important role in protecting your family from COVID-19 — especially as people start spending more time indoors as outdoor air temperatures fall low.

It's accepted that the coronavirus can move in multiple ways, though less is understood about how each contributes to transmission of the disease. Those possible transmission methods include short-range airborne particles, ballistic droplets from coughing or sneezing, long-range airborne particles and contaminated surfaces.

Air cleaners (air purifiers) can limit the spread of the virus via long-range airborne particles by capturing most of those particles in a HEPA filter and cleaning the air at a rate of up to six times per hour. In a typical home without an air cleaner, the air gets fully changed out about once every two hours through air leakage, often aided by mechanical ventilation systems in newer houses.

HEPA filters remove at least 99.97% of airborne particles with a size of .3 microns — and even more particles of other sizes — whether smaller or bigger.

While the virus is about .1 microns in size, or 1/1000th of a cross section of human hair, it's released into the air embedded in a particle of mucus and saliva. Virus can't survive outside that particle. Those particles are easily removed by HEPA filters.

So, in the right circumstances, air cleaners offer an additional layer of protection.

But air cleaners are not a magic bullet. Masks and distancing are both important — but if it's spread by aerosols, staying 6 feet away from people may not be adequate. Masks offer at least a 50% risk reduction. An air cleaner might reduce that another 50%, for a total risk reduction of 75%. Increased ventilation could get the reduction to 85% or 90%. But if you take off the mask, that percentage plummets.

1. The pre-filter removes the larger particles in the air to extend the cleaning time of the electrostatic adsorption device.
2. The electrostatic adsorption device can adsorb the tiny particles in the air. When the tiny particles in the air pass through the electrostatic adsorption device, they will be firmly adsorbed to the negative dust collector of the electrostatic adsorption device after being positively charged. HEPA high-efficiency filters can absorb the tiny particles in the air. When the tiny particles in the air pass through the HEPA high-efficiency filter, they are adsorbed on the HEPA high-efficiency filter.
3. The activated carbon filter removes harmful gases in the air, including ammonia and formaldehyde.
4. Ultraviolet rays kill all kinds of microorganisms (germs) in the air.
5. When ultraviolet rays irradiate the surrounding photocatalyst, it activates the photocatalyst filter to effectively decompose harmful gases.
6. The negative ion generator releases negative ions to make the air fresher.