UV Lamps include the curing or drying of materials such as inks and coatings; disinfection for viruses and bacteria; hygiene and infection control; fluorescent inspection; and tanning.

UV light is nature’s disinfectant, but can it kill coronavirus?

By Will Nicol April 6, 2020

 As society hunkers down in an attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19, commonly known as the coronavirus, people are taking stringent precautions to keep themselves from catching the disease, including self-quarantining and disinfecting commonly touched surfaces. As such, hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol, and other disinfectants are currently in short supply.

 With man-made sanitizers in limited supply, many are turning to nature’s disinfectant: ultraviolet light. UV irradiation has long been used to sterilize objects and rooms, so it makes sense to wonder: Can UV light kill coronavirus?

 COVID-19 is a new breed, and as such there is a dearth of studies on its resistance to UV. That hasn’t stopped people from rolling out UV devices to thwart the virus, however. Companies that produce UV devices are seeing a notable boost in sales, and hospitals are using UV-equipped robots to disinfect hospital rooms; even face masks are getting UV treatment.

 We can look to previous coronaviruses, such as SARS and MERS, for insight. Studies on both SARS and MERS show that UV light could inactivate the viruses, so it’s not unreasonable to expect that it will have a similar effect on COVID-19.

 however, because bacteria and viruses are of a micrometer or smaller dimensions, far-UVC can penetrate and inactivate them.”

 Research like this Nature study shows that far-UVC lamps can eradicate even airborne viruses without harming people, and so we can imagine a world in which walking through airport security or entering a hospital involves passing through a UV decontamination chamber.

 For now, feel free to stick your phone in a UV-emitting cleaning chamber.