It is recommended not to – the virus might be on the filters – but It is far more likely that airborne transmission will occur.
The odds of transfer from the filters to the hands and then to the mucosal regions of eyes, mouth, or nose are very, very low.
- The filter is actually a 3 dimensional matrix, the virii might not be on the top level.
- This is a very inhospitable environment for viruses. The constant air movement should result in quick virus inactivation.
- For infection to happen, you would have to have transfer of infectious virus from the filter to the hand. Then, from the hand to the face’s mucosal regions (eyes, nose, mouth). Possible, but extremely unlikely.
- Especially when you consider finger print ridges vary in width from 100 µm, for very thin ridges, to 300 µm for thick ridges. You would have to be extraordinarily unlucky for the 1 -5 µm respiratory aerosols to be land square on a ridge. Since there are valleys as well, which take up 50% of the space on your finger (eliminating that 50%). Below a microscopic close-up of the the fingertips.
- You might object and say – what about norovirus? True, but different virus. For CoVid, there are just count-on-one hand few reports of fomite infection. Whereas there are 100’s of airborne transmission.
But there are some options below to prevent touch. These which will result in a less efficient air cleaner. How much less efficient? Impossible to tell without access to specific testing equipment.
Here are some ideas if you are dead-set on this:
This one is very well done – but would result in an even great inefficiency of the air cleaner. (It is welded together).
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