Air filtration significantly reduces the presence of airborne SARS-CoV-2 in Covid-19 wards of hospitals, according to a study. Researchers at the University of Cambridge in the UK placed an air filtration machine in Covid-19 wards, and found that it removed almost all traces of airborne SARS-CoV-2.
The finding opens up the possibility of setting standards for cleaner air to reduce the risk of airborne transmission of infections, they said.
The researchers noted that there has been a steady rise in the evidence that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can be transmitted through the air in small droplets called aerosols.
However, as hospitals have seen their capacity overwhelmed, they have been forced to manage many of their COVID-19 patients in repurposed ‘surge’ wards, which often lack the ability to change the air with a high frequency, they said.