Are air purifiers especially the mini, portable ones worn as necklaces effective in preventing transmission of COVID-19 or other coronaviruses?
Are air purifiers especially the mini, portable ones worn as necklaces effective in preventing transmission of COVID-19 or other coronaviruses?
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Mini, portable air purifier necklaces (such as the type available for purchase on consumer websites) have not been shown to prevent COVID-19 infection and there have been no studies about their effectiveness to date. Indoor air purifier units can help reduce tiny parts of virus in the air (airborne contaminants) in a home or confined space if they are used correctly, but they are not enough to protect people from COVID-19.
Mini, portable air purifier necklaces (such as the type available for purchase on consumer websites) have not been shown to prevent COVID-19 infection and there have been no studies about their effectiveness to date. Indoor air purifier units can help reduce tiny parts of virus in the air (airborne contaminants) in a home or confined space if they are used correctly, but they are not enough to protect people from COVID-19.
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What our experts say
Mini, portable air purifier necklaces (such as the type available for purchase on consumer websites) have not been shown to prevent COVID-19 infection and there have been no studies about their effectiveness to date. Indoor air purifier units can help reduce tiny parts of virus in the air (airborne contaminants) in a home or confined space if they are used correctly, but they are not enough to protect people from COVID-19.
Mini, portable air purifier necklaces (such as the type available for purchase on consumer websites) have not been shown to prevent COVID-19 infection and there have been no studies about their effectiveness to date. Indoor air purifier units can help reduce tiny parts of virus in the air (airborne contaminants) in a home or confined space if they are used correctly, but they are not enough to protect people from COVID-19.
Context and background
Miniature, portable air purifiers are currently being advertised around the world, particularly in online marketplaces. Unfortunately, many claims made by these products around COVID-19 prevention are unverified. Some products have claimed to use high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, which are physical filters that meet a standard of catching at least 99.7% of particulates that are 0.3 micrometers or larger in size (although the SARS-CoV-2 virus particles causing COVID-19 are smaller on average than this 0.3 micrometer standard for HEPA filters). According to Pediatric Pulmonologist Dr. Nidhy Varghese, “even if these microbes make it into the purifier, they may elude filtration...the data so far suggests that it is unlikely that air purifiers will help with coronaviruses." The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also emphases that "by itself, a portable air cleaner is not enough to protect people from COVID-19."
Miniature, portable air purifiers are currently being advertised around the world, particularly in online marketplaces. Unfortunately, many claims made by these products around COVID-19 prevention are unverified. Some products have claimed to use high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, which are physical filters that meet a standard of catching at least 99.7% of particulates that are 0.3 micrometers or larger in size (although the SARS-CoV-2 virus particles causing COVID-19 are smaller on average than this 0.3 micrometer standard for HEPA filters). According to Pediatric Pulmonologist Dr. Nidhy Varghese, “even if these microbes make it into the purifier, they may elude filtration...the data so far suggests that it is unlikely that air purifiers will help with coronaviruses." The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also emphases that "by itself, a portable air cleaner is not enough to protect people from COVID-19."
