Can You Kill Coronavirus With UV-LED Lights?

Researchers killed both viruses using UV-LED lights using radiation, which can alternate between white light and decontaminating ultraviolet (UV) light.

The same lightbulbs used in offices and public spaces can destroy coronaviruses and HIV, according to a new study published in the journal Virology.

“We’re at a critical time where we need to use every single possible stop to get us out of this pandemic,” says Christina Guzzo, senior author of the study and an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences.

Coronavirus
Coronaviruses infect animals, humans, and birds. Human coronaviruses, such as SARS, MERS, and 2019-nCoV cause respiratory distress and even death. The S protein is the infectious agent of the virus.

‘Even with a high viral load sample, UV-LED lights were able to reduce the infectivity rate of coronavirus and HIV by 88 percent.’

UV lights are able to kill viruses through radiation. Using this fact, researchers first tested the lights on bacterial spores notorious for their resistance to this radiation. Within 20 seconds of UV exposure, the spores’ growth dropped by 99 percent.

Later, they created droplets containing coronaviruses or HIV, to mimic typical ways people encounter viruses in public, such as from coughing, sneezing, and bleeding.

The droplets were then exposed to UV light and placed in culture to see if any of the viruses remained active. With just 30 seconds of exposure, the virus’s ability to infect dropped by 93 percent.

COVID-19 Vaccine: Myths and Facts
Debunking several misconceptions or myths that have surfaced regarding covid vaccination is important and focus on the facts related to COVID-19 vaccines.

They also compared UV light to two heavy-duty disinfectants used in lab research. They found the lights were similarly effective in their ability to deactivate viruses.

While the lights still left a small percentage of the virus viable, it can be an easily implemented strategy to kill coronavirus.

Are Covid-19 Patients at Risk of Diabetes?
Covid-19 patients should be alert and recognize the signs and symptoms and seek immediate treatment.

UV-LEDs are cheap and could be easy to retrofit in existing light fixtures, and the bulbs are long-lasting and simple to maintain.

The lights also benefit from automation. A standardized, germicidal dose of light can be delivered each time, while the process of wiping down spaces with disinfectants leaves room for human error.

Post-COVID-19 Food Habits for Quick Recovery
Post-COVID-19 recovery needs healthy foods to overcome the after-effects of strong medication and the psychological trauma you went through.

Chemicals and waste from these disinfectants also end up in watersheds and landfills as hands are washed and wipes thrown away. But the lights aren’t harmless.

Lights should be used when public spaces are empty, such as vacated buses that have finished their routes, or empty elevators traveling between floors. Escalator handrails could be continuously disinfected by putting UV lights in the underground part of the track, cleaning it with each rotation.

This shows that UV-LEDs as a tool that could be used beyond the pandemic, ideally to help prevent another.

Source-Medindia