There’s an Advanced Method to Protect Against COVID-19, Without Masks
N95 masks depend on making a perfect seal with your face. If there are any imperfections, a poor fit, or a leak, the effectiveness drops to almost zero. Masks are also notoriously uncomfortable, aren’t sized to fit children, and people often take them off in public to eat, drink, or adjust the fitting.
HEPA filters have similar problems: their effectiveness varies with particle size and is susceptible to imperfections in sealing. And most filters don’t actually inactivate viruses or bacteria.
Other approaches, such as UV light and ozone fumigation, have their own set of drawbacks. They require more time to treat the air, and UV effectiveness varies as bulbs age and as standoff distance from the bulbs increases.