The haze is back, and this time it has not stayed in one corner of the country. Sarawak took the worst of it in early September, with Kuching and Serian both pushing past API 400 — the hazardous band. By mid-September the smoke had spread west, with dozens of stations across Peninsular Malaysia sitting in the unhealthy range, from Shah Alam and Cheras down to Melaka and Johor.
If you are caring for an elderly parent and using a Home Oxygen Concentrator, the official advice is to stay indoors. That is correct advice, but it is incomplete. Fine particles do not stop at your front door, and a closed-up house brings problems of its own. This guide covers what actually happens to indoor air during a haze episode, and what you can do about it at home today.
How bad is the air right now, and what does the API actually mean?
Malaysia's Air Pollutant Index (API) uses five health-effect bands. For current readings, check the official Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS) from Malaysia's Department of Environment rather than relying only on how hazy the sky looks.
| API reading | Band | What it means for a senior at home |
|---|---|---|
| 0–50 | Good | Normal routine |
| 51–100 | Moderate | Fine for most; sensitive seniors may notice throat irritation |
| 101–200 | Unhealthy | Older adults should limit outdoor exposure. Start indoor measures |
| 201–300 | Very unhealthy | Stay indoors. Watch for symptoms closely |
| Above 300 | Hazardous | Highest category. Treat as a health emergency for frail seniors |
A reading of 300 is not simply a worse version of a hazy afternoon — it is the top band, and the difference between 180 and 320 is not a difference of degree.
Two practical points. First, check the station nearest to your actual address on the APIMS portal rather than judging by how grey the sky looks; readings can differ sharply between neighbouring towns depending on wind. Second, check more than once a day. Conditions shift by the hour.
Why seniors are in the higher-risk group
Malaysia's Ministry of Health (MOH) identifies older adults, children and people with certain existing health conditions among groups that can be more vulnerable during haze episodes.
Fine particulate matter such as PM2.5 can remain suspended in the air and penetrate deep into the respiratory system. The World Health Organization (WHO) also identifies particulate matter as an important air-pollution health concern.
MOH monitors haze-associated illnesses through its surveillance system. During haze episodes, official health updates are the best source for current information about reported respiratory and eye-related conditions.
MOH monitors three haze-linked illnesses through sentinel clinics — upper respiratory tract infections, asthma and conjunctivitis. Worth knowing: during the August episode the ministry reported no significant nationwide rise in these cases, though conjunctivitis cases did climb in Sarawak. Haze is a real risk to manage, not a reason to panic.
Does staying indoors actually keep the haze out?
Partly. Closing doors and windows meaningfully reduces how much outdoor particulate gets in, and it is the single highest-value thing you can do. But experts are clear that indoors is not pollution-free. Particles enter through gaps around door and window frames, through ventilation openings, and on clothes and shoes — where they settle on floors and furniture and get kicked back into the air every time someone walks past.
There is also a second problem that gets far less attention. When a house is sealed for days at a time, indoor pollutants that normally disperse start to accumulate: carbon dioxide from occupants, cooking fumes, cleaning-product fumes, and volatile organic compounds such as formaldehyde released by furniture, fabrics and building materials.
So the goal is not to seal the house shut and forget it. The goal is to reduce what comes in, remove what is already inside, and stop adding more.
What to do inside the house
Close the house properly, not just partially
Shut windows and doors on the side of the house facing the wind first. Check the gaps — a rolled towel at the base of an external door costs nothing and closes an obvious gap. If you run air-conditioning, set it to recirculate rather than drawing in fresh outdoor air, and clean or replace the filters. MOH specifically notes that air-conditioning with high-efficiency filters helps reduce fine particles indoors.
Set up one clean room
You do not need to protect the whole house equally. Pick the room where your parent sleeps and spends most of the day, and concentrate your effort there: closed windows, an air purifier sized for that room, minimal foot traffic, no cooking.
On purifiers — a HEPA unit genuinely helps with airborne particles, and it is the right tool for this job. Check that the rated room size matches your actual room; an undersized unit running in a large living hall achieves very little. Run it continuously rather than in bursts.
Change what you do indoors
During a haze episode, cut the indoor sources you control:
- No smoking indoors. This should be obvious, but it is the single largest avoidable indoor particle source.
- Skip incense, mosquito coils and candles. All are direct combustion sources.
- Ventilate cooking properly — use the exhaust hood, and favour boiling and steaming over frying for a few days.
- Damp-mop instead of sweeping. Sweeping and dry dusting lift settled particles back into the air. A damp cloth traps them.
- Leave shoes at the door and have outdoor clothes changed rather than worn around the house.
- Hold off on strong cleaning chemicals and air fresheners while the house is sealed, since the fumes have nowhere to go.
Keep hydration and medication steady
Encourage regular fluids — dry airways are more easily irritated. More importantly, make sure regular inhalers and maintenance medications are actually being taken on schedule, and that reliever inhalers are not expired or empty. A haze week is a bad week to discover the salbutamol ran out in March.
If your parent uses a nebulizer for prescribed medication, keep the mask, mouthpiece and medicine cup clean and check that it is charged and working before it is needed urgently.
Know the symptoms that mean stop and call the doctor
MOH advises paying attention to coughing, difficulty breathing and shortness of breath, and seeking medical attention if they appear. For an elderly parent, treat these as escalation signals:
- Breathlessness at rest, or noticeably worse than their usual baseline
- Wheezing that a reliever inhaler does not settle
- Chest tightness or chest pain
- Confusion, unusual drowsiness or new disorientation
- Lips or fingertips looking blue-ish
- Needing the reliever inhaler far more often than normal
Confusion and chest pain in particular are not "wait and see" symptoms. Get medical help.
If your parent is already on home oxygen therapy
This section applies only to seniors who have been prescribed home oxygen by a doctor. It is not a suggestion that anyone else needs a concentrator for the haze.
Let us be direct about something the market often blurs: an oxygen concentrator is not an air purifier. A purifier pulls particles out of the air in a room. A concentrator draws in room air and separates out concentrated oxygen for one person to breathe through a cannula. They do different jobs, and no concentrator — ours included — cleans the air your family breathes or protects anyone from haze exposure. If you want fewer particles in the room, you want a HEPA purifier.
What haze does change for an oxygen-therapy household is this:
The machine runs more hours. Your parent is indoors all day instead of walking in the morning, so daily runtime goes up. Mains-powered home units are built for this — the VARON VH range is rated for continuous operation, with the VH-3 rated to 72 hours of continuous running — but longer runtime means the next two points matter more.
Filters clog faster. A concentrator pulls in room air by the litre, and hazy indoor air is dirtier air. Check the gross particle filter far more often than your usual schedule — weekly rather than monthly is reasonable during a bad episode — and wash and fully dry it according to the manual. A clogged filter makes the compressor work harder and can pull down oxygen output.
Placement matters more. Keep the unit in the clean room, away from windows and doors, with clearance around the air intake. Do not run it in a kitchen while someone is frying, or in a room where anyone smokes.
Watch the numbers, not just the feeling. A fingertip pulse oximeter gives you a saturation reading in about ten seconds. Know your parent's normal baseline, so that a drop during a haze week is something you can recognise rather than guess at. Report sustained changes to their doctor — do not adjust the prescribed flow rate yourself.
Comparing the VARON home concentrators
For families already on prescribed oxygen therapy, here is how the VH home series compares. Flow rate and concentration should always match what the prescribing doctor specified.
| Machines | VH-3 | VH-1 | VH-2 | VH-2 Pro | Serene 3 | Serene 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flow range | 1–7 L/min continuous | 1–7 L/min continuous | 1–7 L/min continuous | 1–8 L/min continuous | 1–10 L/min continuous | 0.5–5 L/min continuous |
| Concentration | 28%–90% (up to 95% at 1L) | 30%–90% (up to 90% at 1L) | 35%–90% (up to 90% at 1L) | 38%–96% (93%±3% at 1–2L) | 30%–93%±3% (93%±3% at 1–3L) | 93%±3% at all flow settings |
| Noise | <42 dB | <48 dB | <48 dB | ≤45 dB | ≤48 dB | ≤43 dB |
| Weight | 10.58 lbs | 12 lbs | 12.13 lbs | 14.99 lbs | 26.01 lbs | 36.81 lbs |
| Humidification | Automatic — no manual water fill | Manual humidification | Via nebulizer/purification function | Built-in humidifier | Humidifier bottle | Large humidification bottle |
| Nebulizer function | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Continuous operation | Up to 72 hours | 24/7 | 24/7 | 24/7 | Up to 72 hours | 24/7 |
| Controls | Wireless remote, voice broadcast, sleep mode | Colour LED screen, wireless remote, voice broadcast/timer | IMD colour panel, infrared remote, voice broadcast/timer | Wireless remote, voice broadcast | LCD display, universal wheels, overload alarms | LCD screen, universal wheels |
| Notable extra | Quietest; auto-humidification | Large-screen simplicity | Lithium molecular sieve; large colour panel | SOS emergency call button | Wide 1–10L range; smart alarms | FDA approved; 93%±3% across entire range |
| Best suited to | Bedroom use and light sleepers | Straightforward daily home therapy | Families wanting a clearer control panel | Higher flow needs and seniors at home alone | Higher prescribed flow rates | Consistent high purity at any prescribed flow |
A few notes on reading that table. Concentration figures are quoted at the lowest flow setting — every unit here delivers its highest purity at 1 L/min and less as the flow goes up, which is normal for this class of machine. If your parent is prescribed a higher flow, the VH-2 Pro holds 93%±3% across 1–2 L/min. Noise is worth taking seriously for a machine running overnight beside a bed; the VH-3's <42 dB is the quietest in the range. And the SOS call function on the VH-2 Pro is aimed squarely at seniors who spend parts of the day alone at home.
Frequently asked questions
Does an Air Purifier Really Help During Haze?
Yes, for airborne particles. A HEPA purifier reduces fine particulate indoors and works best with doors and windows closed and the unit properly sized for the room. It does not help with carbon dioxide build-up, so it is not a substitute for ventilation altogether.
Can an Oxygen Concentrator Be Used to Clean the Air in My House?
No. An oxygen concentrator produces concentrated oxygen for one person to breathe through a cannula or mask. It does not filter the room. For cleaner room air, use a HEPA purifier.
My Elderly Mother Has No Lung Condition. Should I Buy Her an Oxygen Concentrator Because of the Haze?
No. Home oxygen therapy is prescribed by a doctor based on measured oxygen levels and is not something to start on your own initiative. If she is having breathing symptoms, see a doctor.
Should Elderly People Wear an N95 Mask at Home?
Generally, no—masks are for situations when they must go outside. MOH also notes that people with chronic heart or lung conditions should get medical advice if a tight-fitting respirator causes discomfort, since it adds breathing resistance.
Is It Safe to Open Windows at All During Haze?
Use judgement. Long-term complete sealing can allow indoor pollutants to accumulate. Brief ventilation when the API in your area dips—often overnight or after rain—is reasonable. Check your local station first.
How Often Should I Clean My Concentrator's Filter During Haze?
More often than usual. Weekly checks are sensible during a heavy haze episode instead of the normal monthly schedule. Follow the cleaning method in your manual and let the filter dry completely before refitting.
When Do I Take My Parent to the Hospital Instead of Waiting It Out?
Seek urgent medical attention for breathlessness at rest, chest pain, confusion, blue-tinged lips, or a reliever inhaler that is not working. Do not wait for these symptoms to resolve on their own.
Get the right support for your home
Haze episodes in Malaysia are seasonal and they will come round again. The households that cope best are the ones that prepared before the sky turned grey — a clean room set up, filters cleaned, medication stocked, and equipment tested.
If your family already manages prescribed oxygen therapy at home, browse the VARON VH home oxygen concentrator range to compare flow ranges, noise levels and humidification options — or talk to our team about which model suits your parent's prescription and room setup. We also stock portable nebulizers and fingertip pulse oximeters for keeping track of things at home.
