Germicides based on ultraviolet light are very efficient, but they present significant risks to human health and must be used with care. However, a group of researchers at the Columbia University Medical Center has determined that a new subtype of ultraviolet light identified as “Far-UVC” can annihilate the flu virus and other pathogens without affecting human tissue. The technology is still in the testing phase, but it could be very useful in places like schools, hospitals, airports, and stations.
Every time I state my preference for summer over winter, many people want to throw heavy objects at me, but I maintain my position for the simple reason that winters just give me one beating after another. Colds, flu, and fever are the order of the day, and last time I suffered such a painful ear infection that an injection was necessary. We all know that some diseases have seasons, to the point that the plague seems to “float in the air.” And technically that's not incorrect, since the flu is transmitted through aerosol droplets loaded with the virus of the moment. Now, if it were possible to eliminate viruses like the flu in the air and on certain surfaces, their seasonal impact would be much smaller.
That's where a recent development by a group of researchers at Columbia University comes in. A subtype of ultraviolet radiation called “Far-UVC” kills the flu virus with continuous very low-intensity doses, without damaging human tissue. Traditional UVC light is one of the most powerful germicides at our disposal, but without the right controls it can cause burns and skin cancer. In contrast, far-UVC light has a very limited range, so it cannot penetrate the layer of dead skin on our bodies, nor the tear film of the eye. The design is based on a lamp that has already destroyed bacteria like the feared MRSA, while in the recent study, an aerosolized version of the famous H1N1 was eliminated by bombarding it with minimal doses of far-UVC, at a wavelength of 222 nanometers.
The next step will be to evaluate the effectiveness of the lamps under other conditions, and if everything goes well, they will likely find a place in critical areas such as hospitals and airports. At first, the cost will not be at levels compatible with general consumption (they estimate an average of $1,000 per lamp), but that situation will improve as production accelerates.
