With schools slowly returning to face-to-face (F2F) classes, the concern nowadays is how to keep these students safe. While wearing masks and practicing social distancing can help reduce the spread of sickness, it may not be enough to keep them safe in their enclosed classrooms.
One solution that’s been brought up time and time again is HEPA air purifiers. These devices are found just about everywhere else, from restaurants to hospitals. But, how do Medical Grade HEPA air purifiers reduce COVID risk, exactly?
In this article, we dive into how Medical Grade HEPA air purifiers can keep students safe, and why you should consider adding them to your schools.
Why is air filtration important in reducing the spread of COVID-19?
The science behind COVID is clear. We know it’s spread through the air — specifically through aerosol droplets. Indoors, the risk of catching COVID is significantly increased. This risk increases the longer people stay indoors.
So, how do we stop COVID from spreading in classrooms, where children are enclosed for hours on end each school day?
Cleaning our things and surfaces with disinfectants can help keep illness-inducing germs and bacteria at bay. But, cleaning the air is an entirely different thing — you can’t just spray alcohol into the air and call it a day.
This is where air filtration comes in. It’s important in cases where you can’t stop people from talking, coughing, or otherwise exhaling (which is impossible to do in any classroom!). It’s also useful when you can’t guarantee students can strictly follow social distancing.
Air filtration cycles indoor air — which can contain COVID microdroplets — and exchanges it for clean air. You can achieve this by opening fans and windows and having fresh air circulate in and out of your classrooms.
However, there is a more efficient method of air filtration: HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) air purifiers. They’re especially useful inside any enclosed space with poor air circulation and a high density of people — a.k.a., classrooms.
How Medical Grade H13 and H14 HEPA Air Purifiers can reduce COVID-19 risk:
Medical grade HEPA air purifiers are the most effective air-purifying technology available. You can find them even in hospitals, laboratories, and clinics — which are known for their stringent sanitation requirements. The widespread use is proof that these appliances can remove airborne viruses and diseases.
But how do these devices reduce the risk of catching COVID in classrooms? The answer lies within the machine itself.
We covered why HEPA air purifiers work in the past. But, the gist of it is that these devices, particularly those with medical-grade H13 and H14 filters, can capture over 99% of virus particles.
Here’s a breakdown of how these filters do it:
- Air purifiers draw in air, which contains virus particles.
- Each Medical Grade H13 and H14 HEPA filter is made up of ultrafine mesh, which acts sort of like a net.
- These virus particles are larger than the holes in this mesh, so they get stuck as they pass through the air purifier.
- This “strains” the air of the COVID virus. Trapped viruses die (or lose infectiousness) inside the HEPA filter within hours or days.
But aren’t COVID viruses (and viruses in general) really small? They are. For comparison, human hair is about 50 microns wide. A lot of viruses, including COVID are less than 10 microns wide — so they are very miniscule.
Luckily, HEPA filters are under strict requirements. To be a medical-grade HEPA filter, it has to capture particles of up to 0.1 microns in size. The COVID virus is only 0.125 microns in size. That means it falls squarely within the particle-size range that HEPA filters capture.
How effective are Medical Grade HEPA Air Purifiers in classrooms?
The technology that goes into HEPA air purifiers means they can efficiently draw in this virus (and any droplets of saliva or mucus hanging about in the air) and strain it through their filters.
UV Care’s Medical Grade HEPA air purifiers in particular are very good at doing this. This is because our air purifiers, like the Super Air Cleaner Pro 2, are Medical Grade H14 HEPA filters that traps 99.998% of 0.1 microns but are also equipped with the patented ViruX® Technology.
Tested in labs, our ViruX® Patented Technology is scientifically proven by 2 independent international laboratories to eliminate the SAR-CoV-2 virus in less than a minute. It does this at a 99.97% efficiency! Only UV Care’s ViruX(R) has this fast acting Covid killing capability.
Many of our devices feature up to 6 Air Changes Per Hour (ACH). This means that up to 99.97% of the particles originally in the room are removed over six times in an hour. That’s pretty effective in supplying clean, fresh air for as long as these devices are on.
How to pick the right Medical Grade HEPA Air Purifier for your classrooms:
Picking the right HEPA purifiers to protect your students can feel like a big task. But, choosing one can be easy — especially when you know the most important aspects of a school air purifier.
The first thing to look at is whether or not the device is medical-grade. Choosing one will help you meet even the strictest standards of air cleanliness. Finding an air purifier with MEDICAL GRADE H13 or H14 HEPA filters is the best choice for your classrooms.
The most important thing, aside from medical-grade filtration, is the ACH. We briefly mentioned this in the last section.
Any air purifier you use for your classroom should provide at least 4 full-volume ACH. At UV Care, we can easily achieve 4 ACH — and can go for 6 ACH for most of our air purifiers!
Another thing to consider is quietness. Noisy purifiers cause distractions within the classrooms. The great thing is that UV Care’s air purifiers are up to two times quieter than our competitors while supplying better airflow and sanitation! Even on their highest fan speeds, models like our Super Plasma Air Pro never go above 61 dB(A). That’s quieter than the rain outside your window.
Key Takeaway
Medical Grade H13 or H14 HEPA air purifiers have proven for the past few years that they’re the best indoor air solution for viruses like COVID.
Now that you know how Medical Grade HEPA air purifiers reduce COVID risk, you’re probably interested in installing them in your classrooms.
If so, contact UV Care today. Our top-rated line of medical-grade HEPA (H13 and H14) air purifiers is backed by lab-proven results and patented technology. Our products are also highly recommended by DepEd, DILG, DOT, DOH, and DTI. We have an in-house team of air quality experts who can help you choose air purifier solutions for spaces of all sizes and needs. Excellent air quality, made even more accessible — this is how we do things at UV Care.