The problem with recirculation is not that it makes through the filter (although that'd be part of the issue, if it did), the problem is that air is blown throu

The problem with recirculation is not that it makes through the filter (although that'd be part of the issue, if it did), the problem is that air is blown throughout the cabin, and those droplets travel quite a bit _before_ they reach the filter. Someone sneezes 3-4 rows away from you, and you could inhale whatever they expelled.