NIHR: Air filtration systems do not reduce the risk of picking up viral infections (21 November 2023)

Summary

Research funded by the NIHR has found that air cleaning technologies designed to make social interactions safer in indoor spaces are not effective.

The research was funded by the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) in Emergency Preparedness and Response.

The researchers looked at technologies including:

• air filtration
• germicidal lights
• ionisers.

They studied evidence about whether the technologies reduce the risk of catching airborne respiratory or gastrointestinal infections. The researchers found the technologies do not stop the spread of infections in buildings.