Can UV Light Be Used to Kill Airborne Flu Virus? - WebMD

WebMD ^ | Febuary 12, 2018 | Robert Preidt

[dalight]

MONDAY, Feb. 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- As a particularly nasty flu season rages across the United States, scientists have found a powerful new disinfectant that makes "light" work of the virus.

Researchers say a certain spectrum of ultraviolet light -- called far-UVC -- easily kills airborne flu viruses while posing no risk to people.

It could offer a new, inexpensive way to eliminate airborne flu viruses in indoor public spaces such as hospitals, doctors' offices, schools, airports and aircraft, said the team from Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.

[dalight]

Looks like an answer and an investment opportunity. Instead of touch cleaning, perhaps Goggles and a Bright UV Light passed over surfaces would be a faster, better way of anti-viral operations on a continuous basis. This alos is about including these UVC spectrum lights in the background lighting of facilities. If it was inexpensive enough, stores and arenas and subways could be lit with these bulbs and let us get to moving around again.

[SkyDancer]

Next up: A run on UV lights.

[moovova]

Turn your house into a tanning booth!

[LastDayz]

Just use the old school air purifiers (ozone generators).

[Truthoverpower]

I’ve been putting UV lights in HVAC systems for three or four decades now- they’re very effective

Do you have to be very careful as the UV lights are very harmful to human eyes though

These UV lighting systems are designed to be put directly into the ductwork where no eyes can see them.

[DannyTN]

It’s an obvious cheap solution.

I once installed a UV light in my house duct work, because it kills spores which would help my allergies.

UVC is safer than UV, though.

[Chauncey Gardiner]

Copper/bronze alloy building hardware, UV lights in HVAC supply ducts, will have an impact. Copper alloy threads are also available in carpets, inpatient bed curtains, etc.

[Blood of Tyrants]

This has been known for decades. Powerful UV lights are used to scrub the air in many isolation units.

[Islander7]

Hospitals have had UV lights installed above the main doors to ante rooms of reverse isolation rooms for decades. Yes, UV kills viruses and bacteria.

[TexasGator]

Our home central system has UV lights. Not sure how effective.

[taxcontrol]

I have a uv-c light installed in my duct work facing my Hepa filter.

[SkyDancer]

So I guess you can’t install them over your doorway into your house then?

[dalight]

The concept of this is to use UV light in occupied spaces rather than filtering the air in the HVAC system though this is good (this light can be far more intense than what is safe for human skin and eyes.)

But to keep the power levels down low enough for it to be used in room lighting, apparently it takes 20 to 30 minutes to deactivate flu and presumably Corona virus.

Efficacy of vacuum-ultraviolet light disinfection...
https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-020-4847-9

[Starboard]

Interesting post. Thank you.

[billyboy15]

“If it was inexpensive enough, stores and arenas and subways could be lit with these bulbs and let us get to moving around again.”

Inexpensive compared to what? We have spent TRILLIONS fighting this Chinese Virus.

[free_life]

I ordered some UV wand lights. It is claimed they kill this virus.

[meatloaf]

I’ve got a monster UV-B source that came out of a lab. I wonder if that would work.

[Kirkwood]

Don’t these people know that it is already used in hospitals and biopharma labs? I guess not.

[Capt. Tom]

These UV lighting systems are designed to be put directly into the ductwork where no eyes can see them.

Sounds like something cruise ships should be using. -Tom

[Presbyterian Reporter]

Does this mean we get to find our psychedelic posters and show the grand kiddies what we did for entertainment in the 60’s?