71% Of UAE Residents Give Indoor Air Quality Least Priority Despite Its Importance For Good Health: Blueair Study

Despite the proven importance of good indoor air quality for health, nearly three-quarters (71 per cent) of UAE residents give the least priority to improving ventilation and air quality at home for enhancing the health and well-being of their family, according to a new study commissioned by Blueair, a global air purification expert.

The aim of the research was to examine the public’s attitudes towards health, how it has been affected by the pandemic and the most important factors for staying healthy. According to the survey, 63 per cent of respondents ranked their home setting as the least risky place for picking up an infection, despite research showing that the risk of being infected with an airborne virus or bacteria by a family member is high.

An overwhelming majority – over 95 percent – of those surveyed in the UAE believe that the risk of becoming infected by a virus or bacteria is greatest outside the home and the majority believe that the most important factors for staying healthy are implementing a healthier lifestyle (37%), protecting themselves in public environments through heightened personal protection measures (34%) and good hand hygiene (21%).

The results were part of a study carried out by YouGov on behalf of Swedish air purification specialist Blueair. The research was commissioned to mark the launch of HealthProtect™, the company’s most advanced air purifier to date, and the first product from a major air purifier brand to be proven to remove 99.99% of live airborne SARS-CoV-2 virus from the air in independent, third-party tests.

While 73 per cent of the survey respondents reported an increase in their concern for the health and safety of their family/friends as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, only 13 per cent cited better air quality in the home as an important factor in staying healthy.

Alexander Provins, Director EMEA, at Blueair, said: “Research indicates that poor indoor air quality can be up to five times more damaging than outdoor air, and using an air purifier is a proven way to improve ventilation. We conducted this in-depth study to understand consumer perceptions around health and wellness post-pandemic, as well as to gauge the public’s knowledge about the benefits of air purification. The overarching finding is that the market needs more education about the importance of clean indoor air for our health as well as why we should be protecting ourselves indoors where we spend the most time, i.e. at home, at school and in the workplace.We are incredibly proud to bring our revolutionary HealthProtect™ air purifier to the market.Its proven ability to remove 99.99%(see footnote 1 above) of live airborne SARS-CoV-2 virus from the air underscores our commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation to make a lasting impact on the health and wellness of people around the world.”

The survey indicates that more can be done in UAE homes to prevent infection. Good hand hygiene is stated by most of the respondents – 73 percent – as the measure taken to reduce the risk of infection spreading in the home. The second measure is to clean more frequently, cited by 63 percent of respondents, while less than half (46%) stated having separate towels for everyone in the household. Knowledge of the role that indoor air quality plays in the spread of infection is low and only 29 percent cited the use of an air purifier to help reduce the spread of infection in the home.

Blueair recently confirmed that its HealthProtect™ 7400 air purifier removed 99.99% (see footnote 1 above) of live airborne SARS-CoV-2 virus in controlled biosafety level 3 lab testing. The test was conducted by MRIGlobal, an independent non-profit research organisation, in a 13ft chamber on live aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 virus. With the announcement, Blueair’s HealthProtect™ air purifier has become the first product from a major air purifier brand tested to remove the live SARS-CoV-2 virus from the air.

Jonas Holst, Chief Product Officer at Blueair, said: “At Blueair we are proud to be an industry leader in performance testing. Blueair has built its position as a leader within the air purification industry through 25 years of independent third-party testing of all innovations. Today there is no surprise that a fear of COVID-19 is driving demand for air purifiers, and as such, our commitment as a brand needs to deliver honest, factual, results on live SARS-CoV-2 virus that consumers can trust.”

In addition to removing the airborne SARS-CoV-2 virus from the air, Blueair’s most advanced air purifier ever, HealthProtect™, is the only air purifier to provide 24/7 protection against viruses and bacteria, by combining three new proprietary technologies – HEPASilent Ultra ™, GermShield ™ and SpiralAir ™. The GermShield™ technology proactively monitors the room using temperature and humidity sensors and automatically activates when conditions are optimal for germ growth when the air purifier is on standby. HealthProtect™ state-of-the-art technologies include:

• HEPASilent Ultra™This technology combines electrostatic and mechanical filtration to remove up to 99.97 per cent of airborne pollutants such as dust, pollen, dander, mould. The technology also removes VOCs (including formaldehyde), odours and nanoparticles down to 0.03 micron and up to 99.99 per cent of viruses and bacteria. Once caught in the filter, this unique technology then kills 99% of germs. HEPASilent Ultra™ delivers 50% more clean air, uses 55% less energy and makes 10% less noise than traditional true HEPA filtration.

GermShield™ proactively monitors your room when your air purifier is on standby and activates to kill germs and prevent growth of bacteria on the filter using low air draft and plasma charging. A gentle stream of air then ensures no new growth of bacteria.

HealthProtect™ comes in two sizes:  38m2 and 62m2. It is available now from major retailers in the UAE.