HEALTH
DOH: Air purifiers, fog machines against COVID-19 not recommended
by Justine Rhys Martirez
Posted on December 12, 2020
Use of air purifiers and fog machines are not recommended as prevention against COVID-19, said Department of Health (DOH) undersecretary Rosette Vergeire during the COVID-19 Media Forum last October 30.
Photo by Jansen Romero, Manila Bulletin
“Disinfectant fogging is not recommended for general infection control and routine patient care areas because it can cause harm,” she said.
She reiterated the advisory of DOH at the start of the pandemic that was backed by science and the World Health Organization that “routine applications of disinfectants to environmental surfaces by spraying or fogging on indoor spaces also known as fumigation is not recommended for COVID-19.”
Using this kind of technology such as misting and fogging will cause aerosolization-- the process of converting the substance into small and light particles enough for the virus to stay longer in the air, she emphasized.
Vergeire advised that following the minimum health standards like the use of masks to mitigate the transmission of the virus in any mode is still the most important.
“Sabi nila, airborne daw [ang virus kaya] kung nasa enclosed spaces, kung ikaw ay nakamask, you are protected, you are prevented from being infected,” she said.
[They said the virus is airborne so in enclosed spaces, if you are wearing a mask, you are protected, you are prevented from being infected.]
As of December 9, there are 444,164 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 8, 677 recorded deaths nationwide. #