NEW YORK: The recent study has shown that Ultraviolet-C (UVC) lamps could be used to kill the coronavirus, which had affected 4.1 million people globally.
The researchers at Columbia University have been working on the analysis of and the current pandemic could confirm the value of their efforts. “UVC lamps have long been used to kill bacteria, viruses, and molds, notably in hospitals and in the food-processing industry,” one of the researchers stated.
However, the UVC rays are dangerous as they have the potential to cause skin cancer and eye problems and can be used only when no one is present.
The researchers are experimenting with UVC rays whose wavelength of 222 nanometers makes them safe for humans but still lethal to viruses. At those frequencies, one of the researchers explained, the rays cannot penetrate the surface of the skin nor of the eye.
That means they could be used in closed and crowded spaces where contamination risks run high, with potentially huge promise for use during the current pandemic.
The team next plans to test the lamps on viruses suspended in the air, as when an infected person coughs or sneezes. In parallel, tests are being conducted to confirm that these rays are harmless to humans.
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