May 4, 2021

Are the Portable Air Cleaners (PAC) Really Effective to Terminate Airborne SARS-CoV-2?

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions

Keywords (Tags): air purification, airborne transmission, non-[harm interventions

• Air sampling in residential rooms of COVID-19 patients (n=7) in Spain showed that 100% of samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA (cycle threshold (Ct) cutoff 41), but only 15% (1 of 7) of samples were positive after installation of a portable air cleaner (PAC) with a HEPA filter. Notably, the one positive sample after installation of a PAC was detected in a room larger than the PAC recommended specifications.

Rodríguez et al. (Apr 29, 2021). Are the Portable Air Cleaners (PAC) Really Effective to Terminate Airborne SARS-CoV-2? Science of The Total Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147300