A manufacturer of high-end air purifiers is pushing its products as a viable tool against the spread of Covid-19 in the workplace.
American firm Intellipure said its air purifiers can protect people from getting infected with Covid-19 considering that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently said that “inhalation of very fine respiratory droplets and aerosol particles” is now the primary mode of acquiring the virus.
The droplets, released by infectious people as they breathe, speak, cough, and sneeze, carry the virus and transmit infection. The CDC added, “the smallest very fine droplets, and aerosol formed when these fine droplets rapidly dry, are small enough that they can remain suspended in the air for minutes to hours.”
It may take a while until Covid-19 is brought under control. In the meantime, companies are walking the tightrope between the health and safety of their employees and survival of the business. For companies where a work from home set-up is not applicable or where a percentage of their workforce need to work at the office, it has become imperative to secure the workplace and protect employees and customers from the potentially fatal virus.
Recognizing the importance of clean air in mitigating the transmission of Covid-19, the Department of Labor and Employment recently released Department Order 224-21 that spells out rules for private establishments and public transport.
Section 4-B of the order, signed by DOLE secretary Silvestre Bello III last March 3, states, “Where ventilation is greatly recirculated or accessed to outside air is not feasible, filters such as HEPA filtration air purifiers can be used to clean recirculated air, provided that the unit is adequate for the size of the room in which it is installed in. Ensure proper maintenance by following manufacturer recommendations of these devices.”
Intellipure said its patented Disinfecting Filtration System (DFS) Technology, developed using a US Military grant to combat germ warfare, has the ability to trap microorganisms such as bacteria, mold and viruses, reduce bioburden, and inhibit microorganism growth through a process called microbiostatic condition.
Each Intellipure air purifier underwent a series of tests in the USA, Canada, and Germany to meet the EN1822 and ASHRAE standards, attesting that Intellipure filters can capture particles down to .007 to a 99.99% effectivity – many times smaller than the standard advanced HEPA filters and to Cleanroom level standards for indoor environments.
In addition, the DFS technology has been proven to be effective in capturing and inactivating a proxy virus for Covid-19 in 10 minutes and allowing zero regrowth within 24 hours. The study was carried out by infection control expert Dr Syed Sattar, advisor to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the World Health Organization in an aerobiology chamber compliant with US EPA guidelines.
Air Intellipure, exclusive distributor of Intellipure in the Philippines, said it offers a line of Intellipure air purification solutions for any kind of space – from small offices to expansive open floor areas – and for any type of industry. In addition to portable units, Air Intellipure offers models that can be installed in the ceiling space or retrofitted to any HVAC system.
In the US, multinational bank JP Morgan Chase & Co has Intellipure purifiers installed in all its offices at its headquarters in New York. The New York Schools, Chicago Public Schools, and Syracuse City Schools chose Intellipure portable air purifiers because they provided the highest level of filtration with the least amount of disruption to classes.
In the Philippines, the Belo Medical Group was among the first to invest in Intellipure purifiers, placing them in their clinics in Metro Manila as added protection for their medical team, support staff and patients.
