Scientists Shine a Light on UV as a Coronavirus Killer
Here’s how ultraviolet light can (and can’t) help in the fight against Covid-19
Ultraviolet light, with a shorter wavelength than visible light, is just beyond our vision, and it’s powerful. You may have heard someone ask whether UV light could be shined on or inside people to cure Covid-19. No, it can’t (though it could give you a nasty sunburn). However, UV light can be harnessed to kill bacteria and viruses before they get inside us.
In fact, pathogen-destroying UV in sunlight is a natural disinfectant.
In a primer on The Conversation, Karl Linden, PhD, professor of environmental engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, discusses how UV can (and can’t) battle the coronavirus. “UV lights can be components of mobile machines, whether robotic or human-controlled, that disinfect surfaces,” Linden writes. “They can also be incorporated in heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems or otherwise positioned within airflows to disinfect indoor air. However, UV portals that are meant to disinfect people as they enter indoor spaces are likely ineffective and potentially hazardous.”
The coronavirus is known to get airborne, and scientists now agree this is likely an important transmission route for Covid-19…
