Coronavirus is airborne: Don’t worry, new air filter can ‘catch and kill’ the virus instantly

The filter can be used in airplanes, office buildings, schools and hospitals to stop the spread of COVID-19, say developers.

By: Longjam Dineshwori | | Published: July 9, 2020 11:19 am

The researchers believe that use of the new filter will allow workers to return to offices and work places.

The fear of contracting the novel coronavirus has left many of us sleepless. Now, with the scientists claiming that the virus is airborne, even breathing has become risky today. Here’s is the good news that may give you some relief amidst COVID-19 gloom. A group of scientists have designed an air filter that they claim can “catch and kill” the novel coronavirus instantly. It is the brainchild of the scientists from the University of Houston (UH) in the US, who have published a paper on it in the journal Materials Today Physics. Also Read - Maharashtra records over 10,000 new coronavirus cases, highest since October

They claimed that the new filter can trap SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, and neutralise it right away. The researchers tested a prototype and found that it could kill 99.8 per cent of the virus in a single pass through its filter. They said that the filter can help reduce spread of COVID-19 in closed spaces such as schools, hospitals, office buildings, airplanes, and cruise ships. It can also kill 99.9 per cent of the spores of the deadly bacterium Bacillus anthracis which causes the anthrax disease, they added. Also Read - COVID-19 antibodies, vaccines less effective against coronavirus variants: Study

How the novel device works

The new air filter is made from commercially available nickel foam that is heated to 200 degrees Celsius. Studies have shown that the novel coronavirus cannot survive temperatures above 70 degrees Celsius. So, the US scientists made the filter temperature far hotter — about 200 degree Celsius, to be able to kill the virus almost instantly. The filter is electrically heated, rather than heating it from an external source. This minimizes the amount of heat escaping from the filter, allowing air conditioning to function with very low strain. Also Read - Corona passport: Not recommended but may be unavoidable, says WHO

The researchers are planning a phased roll-out of the device, starting with essential industries where workers are at elevated risk of exposure to the virus. They believe that use of the new filter will improve safety for essential workers and allow nonessential workers to return to public work spaces.

With businesses reopening across the world, controlling the spread of the virus in air conditioned spaces is highly needed, given that fact that the novel coronavirus can remain active in the air for hours. At this time, this new filter that could remove the virus quickly from the surrounding air could be a boon for the society. The researchers are also developing a desk-top model of the device that can purify the air in an office worker’s immediate surroundings.

WHO admits coronavirus may be airborne

The World Health Organization (WHO) has also acknowledged that SARS-Cov-2 virus may be spread by tiny particles suspended in the air. At Tuesday’s briefing in Geneva, Benedetta Allegranzi, WHO’s technical lead for infection prevention and control, said that the possibility of COVID-19’s airborne transmission cannot be ruled out. However, she cautioned that the evidence is preliminary and further assessment is required. The WHO plans to revise and publish its guidelines on modes of transmission of the virus in the coming days, said Maria Van Kerkhove, the agency’s technical lead on the COVID-19 pandemic.

The WHO’s decision came after a group of 239 scientists from 32 countries published an open letter in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases on July 6., suggesting that coronavirus is airborne. They said that there’s emerging evidence proving that micro-droplets carrying the virus can travel up to several meters, or room length and hang in the air for several hours. Earlier it was assumed that the novel coronavirus is primarily transmitted via respiratory droplets generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Researchers and even experts at the WHO were of the opinion that the respiratory droplets from the infected person don’t travel more than 6 feet.

Published : July 9, 2020 11:19 am

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