Posted on 09/12/2020 4:07:36 AM PDT by Mozilla
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – As the battle against the coronavirus pandemic continues, many companies are touting products that claim to kill dangerous pathogens in the air, or on surfaces, using ultraviolet light.
However, questions remain regarding how effective these products — from lamps to wands — can actually be at preventing the spread of the infection. Scientists are warning consumers to beware of false claims.
On a hot August day, Goettl technician Brian Jimenez climbs into an attic in a Simi Valley home to install a UV light in the air conditioning unit. Jimenez says the tiny UV light will reduce the amount of bacteria or viruses circulating in the air.
“Once the pandemic occurred, we saw a huge rise in filtration, UV lights, any products that are used to reduce amount of allergens and viruses,” Jimenez said.
Homeowner Eric Hoff told CBSLA his peace of mind was worth the cost to install.
“The coronavirus made me, kind of pushed me, to getting it done, just because I wanted everyone to be safe,” Hoff said.
USC engineer Andrea Armani and her lab team created a UV radiation system of their own to give to the USC Keck School of Medicine at the height of the pandemic.
“In my research lab we developed, like a plastic bin, that just has a UV source mounted on side, and it can hold, it’s an 18-gallon bin, like a plastic bin that you can buy at Lowe’s,” Armani said.
She created 55 disinfectant bins to help sanitize personal protective equipment and other medical equipment. She provided CBSLA a photo of a petri dish which she says shows how UV light can kill the exposed bacteria.
The right side of this petri dish shows bacteria which has been killed by UV light. August 2020. (Credit: USC engineer Andrea Armani)
“So I think this is a really good way to tackle coronavirus,” Armani said.
Armani says places like hospitals, prior to the pandemic, had already been using this particular spectrum of light — which is called UVC — to kill off contaminants. However, she warns people can easily be duped into buying a product that don’t work.
“All of these wavelengths, you can’t see with your eye, so you’ve no way of telling if your lightbulb is actually the right wave length,” Armani said. “So it was recently on a YouTube video, it’s called the banana test.”
The banana test involves holding the UVC light directly over the skin of a banana for a couple of seconds and if it turns brown, then it works.
Armani alleges there are products out there that do work.
“We really need to think about UVC as kind of being within our suite, our tool box, of ways of killing coronaviruses,” Armani said.
However, Armani cautions that UVC light is dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing.
Goettl, meanwhile, said the price of installing UV light varies depending on the size of your home or your service contract.
UVC works great to kill viruses. If COVID had actually lived up to the early hype, then it would have been good to get for a couple of key rooms. Leave the room while on. Good to put into your air handling system for bacteria. UVC is much more important to use in hospitals, where there can be some very nasty stuff like staph.
I was under the impression the oxygen absorbed the energy of most of those waves, but some still got through.
UV lights were installed in all the classrooms at my daughters school. Who knows if they work but probably can’t hurt other than the cost
I see used to see multiple covid patients a day before the pandemic fizzled. I wiped my gear with disinfected wipes and showered when i got home, changes scrubs before leaving the hospital. so far so good. No tinfoil necessary. You really are afraid of this aren’t you?
By the way I’m fairly sure I had it in January before the hysteria happened. I’m sixty fat and have asthma. Guess what - it was like a bad case of influenza.......
Where are you that you can still find 5-10 covid patients a day? this thing g dried up long ago where I am. Or are you counting everyone with the sniffles as a covid patient?
You have been doing your homework. UV bulbs/lamps have been going up in price. I have a powerful O3 generator. I set it for 60 minutes and close all doors and windows on a room. Leaves it nice and fresh and kills bad “stuff”
After the water was treated by a flocculation tank, balancing PH, a sand filter, a carbon filter and the UV, you could drink it, it was pure H2O.
All particulates, heavy metals and bio bad things were removed or killed.
It is frustrating that such an old, proven technology isn't being used more.
Part of the problem is the scientific illiteracy of the average American.
UV works, but will harm you if not properly used.
The comments above pretty much cover it very well.
Our county officials bought a light robot to use in the county jail last December. Started using it in early January. We had zero cases of virus in county jail.
Now local school boards are discussing the possibility
You mean as in “Sunlight is the best disinfectant?”
A few years ago, I took a brand new sleeping bag on a backpack trek. Since we went a week without a shower in 90+ temps and high humidity, the sleeping bag absolutely reeked when I got home.
I laid it out in the sun for a couple days and it was fine.
In 12 years, I’ve used that bag at least 75 nights and never once washed it.
Your impression is correct. Apparently my comment wasn't clear enough. The shorter the UV wavelength, the more effective at disinfection, and the faster they work. Longer wavelengths can still have some disinfectant effect, but less so and take longer to accomplish. Leaving something out in the sun might take all day. "Vacuum UV" wavelengths might only take a few seconds.
All of my research and preps were completed by the end of the third week of February (I was going out of town for a week). Yeah - I went overboard on some stuff. I would run to the store every few days and buy a few items or order stuff on-line.
I remember shelves full of hand-sanitizer, on SALE! I would buy a couple. A few days later, still on sale with a full shelf and I would buy a couple more. It was really astonishing - was I the only one clued into this???
Although it was nice when a neighbor or relative needed something (anything!) I had extras to give to them.
Yup, it works!
https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/far-uvc-light-safely-kills-airborne-coronaviruses
Most of the newer devices use LEDs and they will typically last the full life of the apparatus they are used in.
We use UV-C to purify water
It works
Isn’t UVC light harmful?
You should never look directly at UVC light. Following the instructions inside the box will ensure correct usage.
https://www.swordfishuv.com/FAQ/SwordfishWholeHome/tabid/162/Default.aspx
Which ones did you purchase??
I have read somewhere that ozone has a bad effect on COPD patients.
any king disease. It is an irritant. That’s why cities put out ozone alerts in hot days.
He also brought up multiple times using hydroxychloroquine with zinc and people went crazy and guess what it actually does work as a therapeutic so once again proving he’s ahead of the curve
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