Novaerus Protect 200 review: The Irish covid-19 killer
Covid-19 has not only created the ‘new normal’ – wearing masks, using sanitisers and maintaining social distancing, but has also highlighted the importance of using air purifiers/ionisers/cleaners. Let’s admit, most of us didn’t care about these devices before the pandemic, but now it’s high time we do. The second wave is behind us, a new third wave has been projected to hit the country soon and there’s no sign of the virus and its numerous mutations fading. And that’s bad news for car and travel enthusiasts like us. Time to give the air purifiers a chance then.
What is the NV200?
What we have here is the Novaerus Protect 200, an Irish air borne infection control unit brought to India by Trivector Biomed LLP. The air purifier has been designed for air dis-infection and odour control in small in-door spaces. We come across air purifiers in most new cars that we review, but there’s no way for us to independently test the results since we’re no lab scientists. Some cars have an air quality monitor to help you assess the effectiveness of an air purifier, but there’s no AQI monitor on the NV200. All we can do is trust the device and rely on the impressive on-paper specs.
How does it work?
The NV200 uses what Novaerus calls NanoStrike technology, which basically uses plasma coils to disintegrate the viruses and pathogens in the air. The air control unit has gills on all sides except the back. Here’s how it works: Contaminated indoor air is pulled in from the top by an internal fan, the Nanostrike plasma coil then uses its electromagnetic field to cause damage to the cell structures of bacteria, resulting in leakage of vital cellular materials – basically destroying these airborne thugs who want to end the world. The lower vents then channel purified air back into your room.
How to use?
The air control unit is a small rectangular box, weighs just 3.4kg, as much as your average adult pet cat and is portable. This is the smallest of the Novaerus series which also has the Protect 800, 900 and the Defend 1050 for largest spaces like classrooms and hospitals. The Protect 200 is the most compact one, easy to operate and there are no filters to replace like regular air purifiers. Except the on and off switch, there are no functions to play around with like fan speed or turbo mode like your modern ACs. You can keep it in your car, bedroom, reception desk or any other small space. Unlike the in-built air purifiers in some of the cars we review, this one is completely silent.
Is it effective?
NanoStrike is a patented technology. It has been independently tested in labs in the US with proven effectiveness against the following viruses and bacteria: SARS-CoV-2, Influenza, Measles, Tuberculosis and many more. Most importantly, it’s claimed to be 99.99 per cent effective against MS2 bacteriophage, a surrogate for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. There are no ownership hassles either – there’s no bio waste, no maintenance or cleaning required and there are no replacement components.
At Rs 1.5 lakh, it’s not particularly affordable. But that’s the only downside and the rest of the package is impressive. We’re soon embarking on a pan India road trip with two compact SUVs, one of which will have the NV200 installed in it. So, passengers of one car are likely to breathe fresher and cleaner air during the course of the road trip compared to those seated in the other car.
The infection control unit is brought to India by Trivector Biomed LLP, click here to order
