As 2021 draws to a close, it is clear that Covid-19 is still dominating the headlines, particularly now that the new Omicron variant is taking hold. But 2021 was not all about Covid-19. In this week’s blog, we look back at some of the other big news over the last twelve months.
Washington University Trial Results, Good News for Children with Asthma.
2021 was a busy year for us here at Austin Air, as three more clinical trials were published. The first came from a team at Washington University. They looked at how an Austin Air Purifier could help asthmatic children living close to agricultural operations. The trial results revealed that running an Austin led to a dramatic reduction in PM2.5 pollutants in the children’s bedrooms. Which in turn helps to improve children’s asthma symptoms and reduce the number of asthma attacks and visits to the emergency room.
Our First Boston Study is Published
Another trial also published this year came from Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering in Boston. Since 2018 we have worked with several organizations in the East Boston area to help reduce pollution levels close to Logan International Airport. This latest trial investigated how using an Austin Air Purifier could help to improve indoor air quality and subsequently lower a person’s blood pressure.
The Olin team noticed a real difference in air quality when using our units, with a massive 10-fold decrease in pollution levels, compared to rooms with no air filtration.
The researchers then measured the participant’s blood pressure and found significant improvements when air quality was good. This led them to conclude that …
‘use of HEPA filtration may be an effective intervention for reducing cardiovascular risk from exposure to TRAP.‘ (Traffic-Related Air Pollution)
Another Trial Published by Johns Hopkins
Our most recent published trial comes from the renowned Johns Hopkins University. They examined how using an Austin Air Purifier can help relieve symptoms for people suffering from COPD.
At six months, they assessed the use of COPD medication, COPD symptoms, and exacerbation risk (flareups). It was clear that there were significant signs of improvement for the group using Austin Air Purifiers, particularly for those who spent a lot of time indoors. This is encouraging news for the many millions of Americans struggling with COPD. Although there is no cure, installing an Austin Air Purifier can help reduce COPD symptoms and greatly improve a person’s quality of life.
HEPA Helps Reduce the Risk of Covid-19 in Schools
Earlier this year, as schools faced the challenge of reopening safely, a team from Goethe University in Frankfurt examined the role of HEPA air filtration in classrooms to help protect against Covid-19.
The team found that HEPA air purifiers reduced air pollutants by 90% even when windows and doors were shut. The team confirmed that using a HEPA air purifier in a classroom containing an infectious person would help significantly reduce the risk of an ‘inhaled dose’ of Covid-19.
Air Pollutants Affect a Child’s Ability to Learn
And it’s not just Covid-19 that we need to be concerned about in schools. A study from Columbia University, published in November this year, found that prenatal exposure to air pollution can impair a child’s learning ability.
Canada’s Largest School Board Chose Austin Air to Help Fight Covid-19
The results of these latest trials clearly illustrate that the need for clean air in schools is more critical than ever. So when we were selected to provide air purifiers for Canada’s largest school board, we were proud to be playing our part to keep teachers and students safe.
After reviewing hundreds of air purifiers, the Toronto District School Board deployed thousands of Austin Air HealthMate Air Purifiers to schools across the Ontario area. And now, just a few months later, we are starting to see the results, as case numbers across Ontario are on the decline.
Effective Air Filtration Will Help Us Get Back to Normal
Despite the previous year’s challenges, our involvement in clinical trials and our work with schools across the US and Canada is encouraging. If we are to find a way out of this pandemic and return to life as it was before, we must accept that safe, effective air filtration has a key role to play.
If you would like more info on the air purifiers selected by schools and used in several clinical trials, read more HERE.
