(UPDATED) While wearable air purifiers generally don't cause any harm, these also don't provide protection against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), the Department of Health (DOH) reiterated Monday, August 16, 2021.
What these do is give a false sense of security that could lead to complacency and more Covid-19 cases, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.
Under the Philippine Covid-19 Living Clinical Practice Guidelines, Vergeire said the use of ionizing air purifier against Covid-19 is not recommended.
A panel of researchers also pointed out that these air purifiers emit ozone, which "may inflict health hazards through long-term or high-dose exposure."
"Ozone, a dangerous respiratory irritant produced by some ionizing air purifiers, is a health risk to users," the researchers stated in an evidence summary released by the Institute of Clinicial Epidemiology of the University of the Philippines National Institutes of Health.
They said no direct evidence has been found to support claims that an ionizing air purifier reduces infections.
They said five experimental studies were conducted on the use of an ionizing air purifier in reducing airborne particles, mostly in uninhabited laboratory settings.
But in an inhabited setting, one of the studies showed that an ionizing air purifier becomes ineffective as people move.
"Sa ngayon po, talagang hindi natin nirerekomenda 'yang mga necklace air purifiers at sinasabi na po ng ebidensya at ng mga eksperto, it's not going to provide protection," Vergeire said.
Vergeire was asked to comment on a directive issued by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, requiring all public utility vehicle drivers and conductors to wear personal air purifiers. (Marites Villamor-Ilano / VoxPop Philippines)