The New York Attorney General's Office recently ordered several companies that sell air purifiers to immediately stop marketing their products as being able to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.  The AG sent letters to AllerAir Industries, AirPura Industries, and Sylvane, Inc., companies which sell air purifiers ranging in price from $900 to $1,500.

The AG charged that the companies have been misrepresenting to consumers that COVID-19 is primarily an airborne disease and that its air purifiers can effectively prevent people from contracting the virus by removing the virus particles from the air.  The AG said that, "studies from countless health organizations across the globe have determined that the primary transmission of the virus is through respiratory droplets, not air transmission, making these claims deeply misleading to consumers." 

The AG acknowledged that while the World Health Organization does recommend “airborne precautions” for medical workers in medical environments, AllerAir Industries, Airpura Industries, and Sylvane Inc. do not make that distinction and mislead consumers to believe that these are products that will be effective elsewhere. As a result, the AG said that, "this omission may mislead consumers into purchasing units that have limited usefulness in protecting them and their families." 

The AG ordered the companies to stop making misleading claims and to clarify on their websites that the products "are primarily beneficial in medical environments where particles are being aerosolized through medical procedures."