Upwards of 98 percent of indoor airborne microorganisms were reduced in less than 5 minutes using a new form of safe UV light. When the lights were on, the concentration of germs in the room didn’t rise much.
Passive technologies such as ceiling-mounted lamps emitting far-UVC light, which the researchers believe might be an extremely efficient way to reduce the spread of airborne illnesses such as COVID & influenza from individual to individual while also minimizing the chance of another pandemic.
Individuals do not have to alter their activity in order for far-UVC light to work, and it is a harmless technique to inhibit the spread of just about any virus, including that of the COVID and its variations, influenza, and therefore any future pandemic viruses.
A form of ultraviolet radiation termed UVC quickly destroys microorganisms, such as viruses and bacteria. Researchers have known about this for decades. Because of the risk to the skin and eyes from traditional germicidal UVC light, it cannot be utilized to eradicate airborne viruses in populated interior settings.
As a result of its shorter wavelength than traditional germicidal UVC light, far-UVC light is not harmful to people’s epidermis or eyes since it cannot permeate into live human flesh or eye cells. However, it is similarly effective in destroying bacteria & viruses, and these are smaller than human cells, and hence more easily killed.
With regard to interior infection transmission prevention, far-UVC tech is appealing because it will be evenly efficient at neutralizing all future COVID variants and infectious agent viruses that have yet to spring up while maintaining effectiveness against ‘old-fashioned’ virus infections such as influenza and measles.
The manner UV light destroys microorganisms means that viruses and bacteria are unable to build a tolerance to it, as they can to vaccinations and pharmaceutical interventions.
The research was published in Scientific Reports.
