Air purifiers may do more harm than good during the pandemic – as a new study shows they can help disperse COVID-19 droplets in confined spaces.
Researchers at the University of Nicosia in Cyprus conducted the “Physics of Fluids” study published Tuesday to show what would happen if someone coughed in a full elevator.
“The air purifier reduces the spread of the droplets but will not eliminate them. The air inlet integrated into the air purification equipment induces flow circulation that can contribute to the transport of contaminated saliva droplets into the cabin, ”wrote authors Talib Dbouka and Dimitris Drikakis.
“The results of the current study are relevant for all confined spaces, including small rooms in residential or commercial facilities, parking garages, shops, as well as an aircraft cabin, submarines and spacecraft,” added the scientists.
They also suggested, “future ventilation and purification systems should focus on reducing AVT [airborne virus transmission] by minimizing the spread of droplets. “