This is the correct time to measure out the effects of various factors in a pandemic. In the most recent coronavirus outbreak, the worst effects have been on the respiratory system of affected individuals.
When discussing the ‘air quality’, it gets imperative to mention how it negatively impacts sufferers. Another way to measure its effects is to see how well the affected ones can manage to heal due to positive upgrades.
On the other hand, the measure of air quality is also measured by how unaffected individuals can minimise the chances of falling prey to the virus because of improved air quality.
How Is The Virus Transmitted: Air-Borne Or Not?
It is verified that the new coronavirus is transmitted by contact points and coughing or sneezing, it is still hard to say if it is a product of airborne transmission.
COVID-19 also spreads by particles as a respiratory illness. They release specks of fluid into the air containing saliva, mucus, and infectious particles when people sneeze or cough. In these droplets, other individuals then breathe, and the virus permeates them.
There is a critical distinction that will be significant when we address air purifiers between airborne and droplet transmission, elucidated further.
Difference Between Airborne and Droplet Transmission
Chemical composition, structure, and propagation time are the main identifiers between airborne and droplet transmission.
They can fall out of the air very quickly because these droplets are heavy, catching on surfaces where we can disinfect the remaining viral particles.
This is where airborne viruses come into the picture. Although viruses such as the coronavirus end their trajectory once the droplets settle, as the droplets disintegrate, airborne viruses will linger in the air, or even exert pressure on other debris in the air.
In the science establishment, there has been debate regarding the transmission routes of COVID-19, and every day we get to know of new updates.
What Is The HEPA Filter
“HEPA” is an abbreviation for “High-Efficiency Particulate Air“. It may sound daunting, but there is nothing fancy about HEPA filters. When scientists were designing the atomic-bomb, they also invented the HEPA filters back in the 1940s.
They are just a mat of arbitrarily aligned fibres, made either from synthetic materials or glass. The synthetic material is equivalent to what is used in fast-dry T-shirts.
Fibreglass philtres, on the other side, are made of glass, indicating stuff like calcium-oxide, magnesium-oxide, boron oxide, silica, alumina, boron-oxide, sodium-oxide, etc.
What is significant about HEPA philtres is that they are extremely efficient at collecting particles of almost any size. Viruses, bacteria, pollen, PM2.5, allergens, and more can be caught by them.
The HEPA Air Purifier in The Times of Coronavirus
Any air purifier cannot in all probability, remove the droplets at the rate in which you need to prevent contamination (at least not much faster than the droplets’ normal settling). The filter would be able to eliminate a greater chunk of the airborne viruses if COVID-19 were infectious, but you would still be exposed.
That mentioned, during the coronavirus lockdown, we still encourage you to use your air purifier. Even if COVID-19 is not eliminated by a HEPA purifier, an air purifier is still a helpful bit of engineering.
It works by eliminating small particles and particulate matter that will enhance the consistency of your indoor air and your general wellbeing. Using your air purifier will do no damage, at least, and it will keep the consistency of your indoor air in great shape.
Importance of Air Quality for The Recovered Ones
Many research results suggest that even if an individual has recovered from COVID-19, they are even more vulnerable to damage their lungs from other sources. Pollution and allergens would harm the lungs of such people more than others.
In such circumstances, the need to be in pure air arises for the recovered individuals. If we install an effective air purifier such as the HEPA filter, their longevity would increase.