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Even with a new COVID booster targeting the omicron variant, federal officials are still preparing for a surge this fall and winter.

There are still about 80,000 reported COVID-19 cases each day in the United States, USA TODAY reported. That number is expected to increase in the fall and winter.

Add in that we’re about to enter the cold and flu season, and people may be looking for ways to lower the risk of illnesses—and reduce symptoms if they do get sick. One simple device that could help is a humidifier.

Some studies have shown that increased humidity may help reduce the spread of airborne viruses, such as those that cause COVID-19 and influenza. For people dealing with cold symptoms caused by the common coronavirus, a humidifier may help ease a cough or a sore throat, according to the CDC.

Based on our experts' thorough testing, these are five of the best humidifiers you can buy right now.

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The Levoit Classic 300S: The best overall humidifier

This ultrasonic cool mist humidifier from Levoi was easy to use and quiet—plus it scored well on our humidity tests, raising it by 29%. The 300S, which has a 2-gallon reservoir, used 2.5 pints of water during our three-hour test, meaning that it should be able to run for 16 hours at full mist level without having to refill.

The Levoit Classic 300S is quiet and small enough to go on a bedside table without disturbing you, while still easily humidifying a room with a large square footage. A bonus is that it’s smart enabled. You can start, stop, and create schedules from your phone via the free app. You can even use Amazon Alexa or Google Home to operate this model.

With more than 17,000 ratings on Amazon, the 300S has a 4.6 rating and nearly 13,000 five-star reviews. Said one five-star reviewer: “Having a top-filling humidifier has been a game changer and I will never go back to other types of units. It's so much easier and cleaning it is a breeze.”