In a dramatic press update on 27 August 2008, Sharp Corporation unveiled its latest technological weapon against bird flu! 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.

Every now and then, the press reminds us that bird flu is the prime suspect to cause mankind’s next pandemic. Pandemic sounds terrifying. It is. That’s when a highly contagious virus goes global, in a very negative sense. The worst pandemic on record was the Spanish flu in 1918 which is believed to have killed 50 million people worldwide! 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.

Now that I have your attention, is it time to PANIC?

Not now. WHO statistics (updated up to 10 Sep 2008) tracing back to 1996 when the H5N1 virus first surfaced in China shows a relatively low death toll of 245. So what’s the fuss? Scientists monitoring the virus fear that it may mutate into a form that transmits from human to human. 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.

With increasing momentum. many countries are conscientiously preparing for the worse (more on this in a later post). At the individual level, we should start making preparations too.

Ok, so what’s all this got to do with Sharp’s ionic air purifier. Isn’t it just another ionic air purifier? Yes, because it takes care of the usual pollutants (dust, dirt, smoke, dander, pollen, cuisine odors, pet odors, allergens etc) that contaminate the air that we breathe and live in. If there is really a tested defence shield against a deadly virus, why not? That’s what Sharp is saying, get the all-in-one air purifier with their Plasmacluster Ion Air Purifier.

If you’re value-conscious like me, the obvious question would be “yes, that makes a whole lot of sense but at what cost”? At no extra cost, Sharp claims! Sharp asserts that it is cheaper than any other ordinary ionic air purifier when measured over 5 years. Value for money grabs my attention anytime! But, how is this possible in this nothing-is-for-free world?

Sharp says that its definitely possible. Using the Plasmacluster Ionic Air Purifier Model FP-N40CX as the basis, Sharp contends that it is great value for money as there is no filter replacement costs for the first 5 years. Upfront costs at US$399 for the Sharp model is higher than the typical competitor’s US$160. But the latter requires annual filter replacement costs of US$100, adding to a total cost of US$560 over 5 years.

If anyone has relevant numbers on Sharp and the competitors, your feedback will be much appreciated. Just email me if you have actual numbers.

My next step will be to learn as much as I can about the Sharp Plasmacluster Ion Technology. The time to research is now, while bird flu is still not quite at pandemic proportions.

Don’t procrastinate. I know. It was like a horror movie that ran for months. Paranoia abounded in crowded places even as people commuted to work on buses and MRT trains. Taxis cruised empty as stories were told of the infected travelling in them to hospital. It was near pandemonium in many Asian cities as pandemic fears took hold. 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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