New air purifiers filter at least 90% of COVID-carrying particles, researchers say (CBS News)

[Wayne]

Finally, a major news outlet (CBS News) does a short segment on a very practical way to potentially greatly reduce COVID infections. I've wondered for months why simple methods like this aren't being used almost universally. Seems to me it could prevent most COVID infections. Ironically, the CBS News anchor (Norah O'Donnell) doesn't really seem to recognize the significance of something so simple being so (apparently) highly effective.

New air purifiers filter at least 90% of COVID-carrying particles, researchers say

"It's a very fixable problem," Prather said. "Once you acknowledge it's in the air, you can remove it using really simple methods like this."

 

[Hip]

I've wondered for months why simple methods like this aren't being used almost universally. Seems to me it could prevent most COVID infections.

In theory it seems like a good idea, and I sometimes use my HEPA filter air purifier when people visit.

But you really need to conduct a trial so see if air purifiers can reduce coronavirus spread in real-world conditions. It's no good the government buying millions of air filters for use in schools, bars, restaurants, shops and other public places if they are not really effective.

Such a trial appears to have been started in schools in the UK, with results expect by the end of the year.

 

[godlovesatrier]

Cannot find hidd nor hair of the outcomes from the one you linked hip. Can't say I'm surprised.

I did find this https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/news/air-filters-on-wards-remove-almost-all-airborne-covid-virus/

Which showed filters do remove almost all covid virus particles. My only issue here is the filters were very large and industrial sized. So would it really work indoors at home in the same way?

I'd love to know if it does as I think having one on at night upstairs would be useful. My partner is a key worker. I'm constantly worried about getting covid from her.

 

[Hip]

Which showed filters do remove almost all covid virus particles. My only issue here is the filters were very large and industrial sized. So would it really work indoors at home in the same way?

I think you would need to look at the number of cubic meters of air that the air purifier cleans per hour, and match that to the room size.

I bought a HEPA air purifier 20 years ago for about £80, which has a throughput of 230 cubic meters per hour on the slow speed, and 300 on the high speed (but the high speed is too noisy).

Our open plan living room is 138 cubic meters, so that means at low speed, all the air in that living room goes through the filter once every half an hour or so, which I am guessing should be sufficient to remove coronavirus from the air promptly (I read that coronavirus can hang in the air of a room for up to 16 hours).

 

[godlovesatrier]

Agreed based on the hospital study it seems like making sure it can filter the air quickly is important.