As the scientific community continues to grapple with COVID-19 attempting to demystify and indeed find a sure-fire treatment for it, the continual eruption of mutants and variants around…
As the scientific community continues to grapple with COVID-19 attempting to demystify and indeed find a sure-fire treatment for it, the continual eruption of mutants and variants around the world has made the disease even more enigmatic and intractable. While vaccines of all kinds and forms developed by global as well as local pharma companies have provided some sort of a potential shield against the dreaded virus, there is no hundred percent guaranteed protection yet for people anywhere in the world.
Additionally, ever since the confirmation that the virus can even be airborne and transmit through the fine aerosols in the air remaining much longer and travelling much farther than estimated earlier, the potential to infect and intensify the contagion has increased manifold. So, even as vaccines and other forms of treatment are being developed to eliminate the virus within the human body, the imperative to inactivate and neutralize it in the air is equally pressing.
And among the limited number of technology options that have come to prominence in recent times, ultra violet (UV) light technology is one potent option. With credible research establishing now that the transmission of the Coronavirus virus occurs more in indoor spaces than outdoors, the role of ultra violet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) technology has become even more critical.UVGI not a novel technologyUltra violet germicidal irradiation technology has been in existence for decades now.
It was way back in 1930s when scientists had experimented and demonstrated the ability of UVGI to effectively inactivate airborne microorganisms in lab settings. However, because these could not be replicated in real-life settings especially in the context of fight against measles, there was considerable hiatus before the technology was taken up with the same vigour and enthusiasm again. It was due to the rise in TB cases in the 1980s when the technology received renewed interest and attention.
UV-C the possible antidote to SARS-CoV-2 virusFirst and foremost, not all ultraviolet can be taken as being germicidal. Unlike the longer wavelength UVA and UVB which lie in the spectral band of 320-400 nm and 280-320 nm respectively, it is only the short wavelength in the spectral band of 100 to 280 nano metres which is most effective for disinfection. However, longer, less energetic UV can also disinfect if applied in much greater doses.
This is a source-linked briefing. Read the original report from Businessworld Healthcare World .