Coronavirus FAQ: Is It A Good Idea To Buy An Air Cleaner For My Home?

Remember how hard it was to buy hand sanitizer and Lysol wipes back in March? (Not to mention yeast!) Not many people were stockpiling portable air cleaners or purifiers back then. But engineers and doctors say these devices could play an important role in protecting your family from COVID-19 — especially as people start spending more time indoors as outdoor air temperatures fall in the Northern Hemisphere.

"It's a relatively easy way to get clean air in a place where people are in close contact," says , an associate professor of exposure assessment science who directs the Healthy Buildings program at