Sharp Corporation issued a seemingly ordinary press release on 27 August 2008. But I believe the information therein will one day gain global prominence! Incorporated in its ionic air purifier, the Plasmacluster Ion Technology (more on this in a later post) has just been scientifically proven to be 99.9% effective in eliminating the bird flu virus known as H5N1.
As we have been constantly reminded by the press, bird flu is the prime suspect to cause mankind's next pandemic. Pandemic does not just sound terrifying. It is. That’s when a deadly virus turns totally global, in a very negative sense. 50 million people may die in a global pandemic. No way, you say. But its happened before, during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic! That was blamed on the H1N1 virus which was only recently confirmed on 5 October 2005 by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be a bird flu virus.
Is your heart pounding away? Is it time to PANIC?
Not quite, not yet anyway. The H5N1 virus was identified in China in 1996. Up to 10 Sep 2008, WHO data puts the death toll at 245, a "relatively small number" statistically. So what’s the fuss? The greatest nightmare for scientists monitoring the bird flu virus is to see it attain human-to-human transmission capability. As of now, there has been only one probable case of human-to-human transmission recorded in Thailand in September 2004. Don't be surprised by the global pandemonium in the event that the dreaded virus mutation actually occurs.
As the threat grows day by day, countries around the globe are conscientiously preparing for the worse (more on this in a later post). At our individual level, we should start doing some homework too.
Ok, so what’s all this got to do with Sharp’s ionic air purifier. Is it not just another ionic air purifier? Yes, it's ordinary in that it takes care of the usual stuff that we look for in an air purifier – dust, dirt, smoke, dander, pollen, cuisine and pet odours, pollutants, allergens etc. But if we can get protection from all these and more in one ionic air purifier, especially one that is a tested defense shield against a potentially deadly virus, why not? With Sharp's Plasmacluster Ion Air Purifier, that is exactly what is promised.
Obviously, for the value-conscious, the next logical question would be “yes, that makes a whole lot of sense but at what cost”? Per Sharp, not a penny more! Sharp contends that over a 5-year period, it is cheaper than any other competing ionic air purifier. Great value for our hard-earned money! How is it possible in this nothing-is-for-free world?
It is entirely possible, says Sharp. For example, there is much better value for money in its Plasmacluster Ionic Air Purifier Model FP-N40CX as there is no filter replacement costs for the first 5 years. At first sight, the typical competitor's upfront cost of US$160 looks cheap compared to Sharp's US$399. But add in the annual replacement filter replacement costs of US$100 and the total outlay for the competing ionic air purifier comes to US$560.
Any feedback on the competitor numbers would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to drop me a note if you have actual numbers.
My next move would be to seriously investigate the Sharp Plasmacluster Ion Technology. Especially since bird flu is still not quite at pandemic proportions.
It’ll be way too late when that hits. Fear etches itself deep in my psyche. I remember my family, along with thousands of other frantic people, scrambling around town looking for the much-touted N95 face mask when the last near-pandemic scare took place in Asia. SARS! Four letters that struck terror in Asia. The SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus started spreading from Asia, infected 8,096 people around the world, resulting in 774 fatalities. Being well prepared is half the battle won.
Watch this space as we track exciting developments in our pursuit of safe, pure and clean air with nothing more than an ionic air purifier.
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