Whether you are returning after a weekend off or months of working at home, you might feel reluctant to head back to the office — especially if your work environment makes you feel uncomfortable. If you often notice yourself feeling unwell while you are in the office, it may be easy to write it off as job-related stress. However, there may be something more going on, especially if you are not the only one experiencing symptoms.

We are now well into the second summer of COVID-19 and viral transmission is still at the forefront of many people’s minds. Though travel has picked up since this time last year, the unfolding threat of the Delta Variant means that the pandemic is far from gone. All of this uncertainty can throw a wrench into your travel plans, and makes finding the right balance between caution and a sense of normalcy all the more difficult.

I want to start with a disclaimer; I am neither a physician nor a medical expert. My pain has propelled me to dig into scientific literature about airborne infections and control measures associated with ICUs in India. As part of my role as an R&D director for Molekule, I’ve read many scientific articles on air purification. But as a son of a strong woman who was hospitalized while battling serious illness, I’ve gone to great lengths to familiarize myself on the subject of airborne infections and control measures in ICUs—references to some of these sources are given at the end of this article.

While it is evident that the only way to fully do away with unwanted secondhand smoke exposure is by completely banning smoking in an indoor space, using an air purifier might at least help mitigate the adverse health effects and reduce the unpleasant odor. 

It seems counterintuitive to think that cleaning products could be harmful to your health, but some cleaning products can actually be bad for both your health and indoor air quality.

If you read the ingredients label on your personal care products, you will probably be faced with a long string of unfamiliar terms. These hard-to-pronounce chemical names can cause hidden concerns that you should be aware of.

The exact chemical makeup of paint fumes depends on the type of paint used. According to the EPA, water-based paints, usually referred to as latex or acrylic paints, emit fewer chemicals than oil-based paints. Choosing “no-VOC” or “low-VOC” paints can help decrease indoor air pollution and reduce health risks to members of the household, though they may still emit odors or other unwanted substances such as pesticides.