UVC Light and Covid-19
via (SciTechDaily)
One of the largest barriers to getting the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), under control lies in how new the virus is to the scientific community. There simply has not been enough time to study the pathogen and determine with certainty how it reacts to different disinfection methods. What scientists can do, however, is conduct tests on viruses similar to SARS-CoV-2 such as SARS-CoV-1, which is readily available and has been widely researched, as well as study families of viruses that have proven to be harder to inactivate than coronaviruses. The assumption is then made that if a disinfection method proves to be effective against SARS-CoV-1 or a family of viruses more resilient than the coronavirus, it will also be effective against the current coronavirus strain.
When it comes to UVC lights efficacy against fighting COVID-19, this is exactly what researchers have done. Doses of UVC light at a wavelength of 254nm showed to be quite effective at inactivating SARS-CoV-1. Based on dosages needed to inactivate similar viruses, researchers believe that a 99.9% disinfection rate can be attained for SARS-CoV-2 with doses of direct UVC light between 10,000-20,000µW-sec/cm² under controlled lab conditions. The use of Pure UV’s MRS system 10 feet away from the surface being disinfected for 15 minutes will result in a ~22,000-24,000µW-sec/cm² dose of UV light and that number will increase as the machine is placed closer to the target area. In one study, it was proven that the consistent use of UVC light as a mode of disinfection for hard surfaces is effective against MERS-CoV (a relative of SARS-CoV-2), resulting in total inactivation after only 10 minutes of exposure. To put this into perspective, MRSA, a member of the Staphylococcus virus family, requires 12,100µW-sec/cm² of a UV dose exposure for a 3-log (99.9%) inactivation of the pathogen which can be reached with a 10 minute exposure at 10 feet with a Pure UV MRS machine.
UVC light has been proven to be effective in disinfecting spaces as long as it is used correctly. Anywhere the light is not touching a surface or reaching the air, it is not disinfecting, so it is crucial to place UVC lighting in places where it can reach the greatest amount of surface area. This can be achieved my rotating where a MRS is placed, moving the machine intermittently to make sure all areas in a space are subjected to the UVC rays. Total room disinfection can more easily be attained through the use of multiple UVC fixture such as wands, ceiling fixtures, or HVAC air purifiers.
Cleaning areas and surfaces with UVC light acts as another protective measure ensuring your place of business is safe. Normal manual cleaning can result in residual contamination and the use of UVC light as a supplement will help with reaching complete disinfection. At Pure UV, our cleaning service uses a tandem approach of EPA approved chemical fogging on all high touch areas as well UVC light disinfection in smaller, harder to reach areas such as bathrooms, bars, and kitchens. This dual-pronged approach can give you peace of mind when inviting employees, customers, and tenants back into your buildings.
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