Due to the coronavirus outbreak, thousands of schools around the world were forced to close down for the sake of the health of the students and the staff. However, such a decision could affect the overall school year and anytime soon, schools will need to resume its operations especially once the curve flattens.
There are concerns about the virus as studies show that it lingers in the air for hours, and that could be dangerous especially in hospitals and schools. This is why a scientist at Columbia University in New York suggested that a certain kind of light may be able to kill off the coronavirus.
Ultraviolet light to kill off the virus
The director of Columbia University's Center of Radiological Research, Dr. David Brenner, has been studying how to use ultraviolet light, also known as the UV light, which helps prevent the spread of diseases for years. Germicidal UV light is used in medical centers and hospitals to clean rooms and equipment, but it is also a health hazard to humans and it can cause skin cancer and eye diseases.
However, there is a special type of UV light called far-UVC light that kills microbe but it is not dangerous. Conventional germicidal UV light kills microbes but also penetrates the skin, raising the risk of various forms of skin cancer and cataracts. But far-UVC light is powerful enough to be used as a cleanser but it does not damage the skin cells, so it is perfect for hospitals and schools.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, Brenner was studying whether far-UVC light could kill airborne viruses, as he was preparing for the flu season. A study in 2018 that was published in Scientific Reports, which Brenner co-authored, shows that the light can kill more than 95% of viruses like the coronavirus.
According to the study, the virus is covered with a thin membrane and it is easily broken apart by UV rays. Brenner's team has since tested the light against two seasonal coronaviruses, and is now testing the strain responsible for the pandemic, SARS-CoV-2.
Brenner told ABC News that they saw they can kill 99% of the virus with a very low dose of far-UVC light. There is no reason to believe that it is going to be different from killing the coronavirus with far-UVC light.
Far-UVC dilemma
There is one issue with Brenner's suggestion, the far-UVC lamps have not yet been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration or FDA. Brenner stated that if the far-UVC lamps are approved, they could be used in any public places like train stations, bus stations, airports, malls, and other establishments in addition to hospitals and schools.
Brenner added that there is no real approach to trying to reduce the number of viruses in a room where people are and somebody sneezes and coughs. If the air can be decontaminated fast, that would be very helpful in stopping the virus from spreading. Once states begin to re-open their economies, disinfection of mass transit systems and surfaces such as door handles and elevators will be a top priority in order to prevent a second wave.
In South Korea and China, either installed UV light or attached to robots is being used to clean trains, buses, and more in just five minutes. A lot of health experts say that this method is faster, safer, and cheaper than other disinfecting measures and it could accelerate the reopening of the economy.
