Claims they remove 99% of viruses are unproven; cheaper air filters are more effective. //

The pandemic has given more urgency to come up with standards, and members are working on them, but Owen says the process could take years.

In the meantime, Zaatari has a simple message for school administrators and parents calling her for advice: stick to the basics. “It’s so cheap to use current proven technologies,” she says. “There’s so much misinformation.”