This site has limited support for your browser. We recommend switching to Edge, Chrome, Safari, or Firefox.

Wildfires and COVID-19 in 2020

The air pollution fires create poses a serious health hazard — and not just for those with compromised respiratory systems.

Unless you have a chronic health condition that warrants special attention to your breathing, you've probably never thought as much about the air as in 2020.

From COVID-19 and face masks, to the ongoing wildfires, smoke, and record-breaking temperatures, our desperation for respiration is unrivaled in recent memory. The air pollution fires create poses a serious health hazard — and not just for those with compromised respiratory systems.

For millions of people, the VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in smoke, along with carbon monoxide and particulate matter, do more than cause watery eyes and scratchy throats. In the worst areas, where the U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI) is considered hazardous, breathing this unhealthy air is equivalent to smoking 12 cigarettes a day!

More Vulnerable to the Virus

COVID-19 and wildfire smoke is a dangerous combination, because both affect the lungs and immune system. Fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, can lodge deep in the lungs and even enter the bloodstream, making healthy people more susceptible to illness.

By the same token, those in high-risk groups due to underlying medical conditions (such as asthma or heart disease), age, pregnancy, etc., are at greater risk for getting sick if they're breathing polluted air.

Don't hold your breath, metaphorically speaking, waiting for the wildfires and COVID-19 to subside. Instead, become as proactive as possible for yourself and those you love.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend the following tips to help protect you from wildfire smoke inhalation:

  • Stay indoors, and keep your indoor air clean. Keep doors and windows closed, and run your air conditioner on "recirculate" so it doesn't draw in outside air. If you don't have A/C, use room fans.
  • Don't add to indoor pollution. You may think a scented candle makes the air smell better, but it also adds smoke. Do not vacuum, and be careful about cooking: frying foods will put more smoke into indoor air.
  • Be smart about outdoor exposure. Check the AQI and fire risk before visiting parks or campgrounds. And think twice about using any potentially flammable products. 
  • Invest in a high quality air purifier. A HEPA indoor air purifier can help protect you from wildfire smoke and COVID-19.

Clearing the Air

As both the CDC and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommend, one of the best ways to clear the air is with a HEPA-certified air purifier. HEPA is an acronym for "high efficiency particulate air [filter]", as defined by the U.S. Department of Energy.

According to the EPA, "Portable air cleaners and HVAC filters can reduce indoor air pollutants that are airborne, including viruses. By themselves, portable air cleaners and HVAC filters are not enough to protect people from the virus that causes COVID-19. When used along with other best practices recommended by CDC and others, filtration can be part of a plan to protect people indoors."

HEPA filters can theoretically remove 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria and any airborne particles that are 0.3 microns in diameter, which is approximately the size of wildfire smoke particles. When you're unable to ventilate your home due to wildfire smoke, a HEPA air purifier is an excellent solution.

Wynd's proprietary V-Series HEPA filter offers complete indoor coverage. The Max Purifier purifies and kills 99.9% of germs, and removes particulates and gases, including allergens, mold, toxic odors, and air pollution. Each Max Purifier can clean 1200 square feet in just half an hour. Armed with fourteen environmental sensors, it's the most powerful air purifier in its class.

Clean Air to Go

What if you need to leave home? Wynd has you covered, with portable protection. In your car, in the office — even if that's a home office — the Wynd Plus Smart Personal Air Purifier clears the air. Recipient of Time's Best Inventions award, it's the size of a water bottle, and incredibly effective in keeping you safe on the go.

Wynd creates a bubble of clean air around you with a medical-grade filter that eliminates harmful particles from your breathing space, including pathogen-carrying mucus, protecting your lungs and providing your immune system with the extra support it needs to help you stay healthy. Wynd is an intelligent personal air purifier, monitoring your environment and adjusting itself as needed to maintain clean, pure air.

We live in extraordinary times. Whether it's a pandemic, wildfires, or some other scourge that sparks serious health challenges, you can breathe easier with the Wynd at your back — and all around you.

 

Stay in Control,
Anywhere You Go

Experience Sentry's comprehensive smoke and noise monitor with real-time alerts

Recent Articles