A: It’s *probably* a good idea, and HEPA filters easily remove the size particles that carry the virus (the virus does not fly around naked, but embedded in mucus and saliva, yum!).
Compared to overstocking Clorox wipes, cleaning your air may provide important COVID-19 protection for you and your family, especially over the winter as people return indoors.
With increasing evidence of COVID-19 transmission via smaller airborne particles that can travel farther and accumulate in an enclosed space (see recent posts below), portable air cleaners can limit spread by capturing most of these particles in a HEPA filter.
Will the 6 feet/2 meter rule keep me safe indoors?
I still have *so* many questions about aerosol transmission.
• If you live alone, an air cleaner for COVID-19 may be less important (but still useful for allergens and pollution).
• If you have occasional guests or family members regularly spending time in contact with others, an air cleaner may help reduce transmission risk.
• And if someone in your home gets sick with COVID-19, it could be a very important tool for minimizing the risk of onward household transmission.
What type of air cleaner should I buy?
Look for a unit with a HEPA filter and a clean air delivery rate, or CADR, of 300 cubic feet per minute (not hour) or better, without extra bells and whistles. A tool for calculating the size cleaner needed for your space was created by Dr. Joseph Allen and colleagues for schools, but works just as well for homes:
While air cleaners are not inexpensive, depending on how many people are in and out of your home currently it could be a good investment. Remember that while any single prevention measure is not 100% effective, a layered approach can provide accumulating levels of protection.
Think of each prevention measure as a layer of Swiss cheese…each one has holes, but stacked together little can get through.
Stay safe and stay sane!
Love,
The Nerdy Girls
_________________________________
Further information:
