Clean air is healthy air - Air purification helps in the fight against the new coronavirus
The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is keeping Germany and the world on tenterhooks. Institutes such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), the central institution of the German Federal Government in the field of disease surveillance, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) as well as countless research institutions around the globe are analysing the novel pathogen of the COVID-19 disease at full speed: cause and transmission routes, spread patterns and courses of the disease - feverishly searching for effective drugs and a suitable vaccine.
Droplet infection: infection via the air
A study by the Université Laval in Québec (Clinical Infectious Diseases (2015; doi: 10.1093/cid/civ321)), shows that the viruses are indeed detectable in the air. Her research group tested the air at different locations in eight health facilities during norovirus outbreaks: The samples from the patient's room (at a distance of one metre from the patient) were positive in 54 percent.
Addendum 19.03.2020
At the US National Institute of Health in Hamilton/Montana, researchers have proven the stability of the two SARS coronaviruses SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. According to this, the aerosols remain airborne for an average of 2.74 hours and thus pose a risk of infection even without skin contact with an infected person.
It is clear that the main route of transmission of these novel coronaviruses is droplet infection, which is also used to transmit other diseases such as the classic cold, influenza, scarlet fever or meningococcal infections. Pathogens, bound in droplets, are flung into the air from the nasopharynx via sneezing or coughing. Fortunately, infections that are transmitted in "large" and "heavy" droplets (more than 5 µm in diameter) only have a short range of 1 to 2 metres, as these droplets quickly fall to the ground. Other, smaller pathogen droplets remain in the air as aerosols and can thus be transmitted in suspension over long distances, such as measles or chickenpox. Fortunately, according to the Robert Koch Institute, there is currently no evidence for the latter with regard to SARS-CoV-2.
Making viruses and bacteria harmless through UV LED photocatalysis
Many people in closed rooms are therefore an optimal condition for airborne transmission routes. Train journeys, air travel, shared offices, not to mention hospitals, old people's homes or doctors' surgeries - the pathogen density can assume enormous proportions and the pathogens remain in the air for a greater or lesser period of time. If air-conditioning systems are also used, this pathogen load is also circulated. One thing is clear: clean air is healthy air. This is where the AiroDoctor comes in with its innovative filter technology. While the first 3 stages filter out larger particles from the air, stage 4 gets to grips with viruses and bacteria. This is where the unique UV-LED photocatalysis technology takes effect, in which the micro-organisms are decomposed and rendered harmless in a reaction of irradiation with titanium dioxide nanoparticles. This happens completely without chemicals or harmful residues.
Viruses and bacteria are part of human life. Some of them are essential to life, others are life-threatening. The latter must be eliminated sustainably.
Standard air purifiers contribute to the proliferation of viruses and bacteria
Unknown to many is the fact that conventional air purifiers are only equipped with filters which, over the course of use, become compacted by house dust, hair, pollen, etc. and mutate into a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. Furthermore, not known: Viruses are very small - the size is approximately between 22 and 330 nanometres. One nanometre corresponds to one millionth of a millimetre. This makes viruses much smaller than bacteria, which are on average between 0.2 and 2 micrometres in size. This corresponds to 0.0002 to 0.002 millimetres. Viruses can therefore not be filtered, but only eliminated.
