The pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus has changed the world as we know it. Many who are free from the disease have grown tired of the imposed quarantine, but discontinuing the lockdown before it is safe could be hazardous. People must strike a healthy balance between the two. We must be able to control or even prevent a second wave, and that entails precautionary measures that must be taken for life to return to normality as soon as possible.
Take travel for instance. Airplanes, which typically seat people in close proximity to each other, have always been a breeding ground for disease transmission. When will it be safe for people to use air travel again? People are also reconsidering the use of carpooling services, as it poses risks with unknown vectors. Unnecessary trips to the hospital or clinic are another example of something that people are trying to avoid more than ever. And of course, people want their homes, where many have been self-isolating for weeks now, to be clean and free of germs or pollutants.
Luckily, in this era of rapidly advancing technology, there are many ways to increase our chances of staying safe and healthy. Several months ago, an article was published in The New York Times titled “The Rich Are Preparing for Coronavirus Differently.” The article describes how the wealthy use solutions for travel and isolation such as private jets, chartered yachts, memberships for V.I.P. emergency rooms, and custom-built medical isolation rooms. While these solutions may work for those who have enough money to spare, others must contend with sharing relatively small spaces with many other people. Masks and hand sanitizers are a good, cost-efficient way to try to reduce the spread of germs, but what they cannot do is destroy germs in the air. That is where Molekule comes in.
About Molekule
Molekule is a high-end air purifier that works by using patented photo electrochemical oxidation (PECO) technology, based on more than 20 years of research, to destroy indoor air pollutants at the molecular level. These air pollutants even include organisms that cause disease, such as viruses.
Molekule, the company that produces Molekule air purifiers, was founded in 2014 by siblings Jaya Rao, chief executive officer, and Dilip Goswami, president and chief technology officer, along with their father Dr. Yogi Goswami, the company’s chief scientist. Inspired by Dilip Goswami’s battles with allergies and asthma as he was growing up, Molekule’s goal is to improve air quality for all, a goal that holds even greater importance in light of this public health crisis. Molekule air purifiers aim to destroy indoor air pollutants in locations such as hospitals, schools and businesses, all of which are places that people are currently wary of. Molekule Air can purify the air in one’s own home as well, improving people’s everyday living spaces.
How PECO Technology Works
The technology works in four steps. First, it takes in air from its surroundings. Then, the air circulates through the Pre-Filter before reaching the PECO-Filter. That particular filter is covered with a nanocatalyst-coating that when activated by light, safely breaks down pollutants at a molecular level.
An independent Molekule review by Aerosol Research and Engineering (ARE) Laboratories, as well as a Molekule review by Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) Intertek, found that Molekule’s PECO technology led to over 99 percent reduction of several types of bacteria and viruses. This included a proxy for SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 outbreak. This means that Molekule’s technology has the potential to help protect the air during these troubled times, increasing people’s feelings of safety and confidence as businesses start to reopen.
In fact, Molekule’s technology is a much-needed innovation in the air purification industry. This is because using nanotechnology, PECO technology can destroy pollutants at 0.1 nanometers. Prior to the development of PECO technology, high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters were the original industry standard, a technology first developed in the 1940s.
COVID-19 Sparks Consumer Interest in Molekule
The New York Times noted that Molekule had sparked the interest of former partner of venture capital firm 500 Startups Marvin Liao when he was stocking up on supplies to get through the pandemic. In light of the pandemic, Molekule’s technology is gaining traction among consumers. Many Molekule customers recommend the device given the outbreak situation, according to the Molekule review page. One user described it as “worth it for the tech and COVID,” and another installed the device to help protect his patients and staff.
About Molekule’s Products
Molekule Air costs $799, and is used for purifying the air in larger rooms. For smaller rooms, the company also sells an Air Mini+ for $499. Purchase plans for these devices are available through Affirm with payment schedules for 6, 12, or 18 months. Molekule offers a 30-day home trial so that customers can experience the difference in air quality before committing. A sensor in Air Mini+ rates the quality of air particles from “good” to “very bad,” and this rating can be viewed on the user’s smartphone, along with filter status and settings to control the unit directly from the phone. Molekule Air and Air Mini+ are portable, able to be easily moved from one location to another, and they are quiet, helping to maintain the tranquility of the user’s home. Users can also have fresh filters delivered to them every six months for an additional price through Molekule’s auto-refills program.
The biggest model is the Molekule Air Pro RX. Not only has this model been cleared by the FDA as a 510(k) Class II medical device, but it also meets the performance criteria outlined in FDA guidance for use in helping to destroy the SARS-CoV-2, the COVID-19 virus. The Air Pro RX is for use in large spaces such as waiting rooms, emergency departments, intensive care units, and operating rooms. This technology is already being used by Mercyhealth, a healthcare network, in five hospitals across Wisconsin and Illinois, to deliver added protection for frontline healthcare workers. Rao said, “Today, we are facing an invisible threat in the air, and it’s more important than ever to get our PECO technology into medical facilities where patients are in respiratory distress and healthcare workers are at a high risk of airborne exposure. The work we are doing with Mercyhealth is a defining moment for getting new air purification technology deployed in the battle against this virus.”
To win the battle against the pandemic, we have to employ our technological prowess to come up with innovative solutions. As former venture capital partner Liao says in the aforementioned New York Times article, “I don’t know if you’re ever ready for this. But I think that you’re probably better prepared than a lot of people because at least you’ve thought about it.” The article describes how wealthy figures such as Gwyneth Paltrow wear masks with five layers and how some brands are selling luxury hand sanitizers in bottles shaped like modernist baby chicks, but in times like these, more protection is always better. Molekule Air is a scientifically proven product with the ability to remove viruses from both small and large spaces. With this potential, Molekule Air can help pave the way for cleaner public and private spaces.
