A 30-second exposure to the light is enough to kill more than 99 percent of samples of the virus, say researchers from Hiroshima University in Japan.
The light has been proven to kill other corona viruses, such as seasonal flu, but the researchers have discovered it is equally effective against Covid-19.
Transmitting on a wavelength of 222 nanometers (nm) makes the light safe around people and won’t penetrate the skin and eyes. But in laboratory tests, it killed 99.7 percent of Covid samples, the researchers said.
The next step is to test the 222 nm light in a hospital to discover whether it can disinfect surfaces. UVC transmitting at 254nm is more common, but it can be harmful to people.
(Source: American Journal of Infection Control, 2020; doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2020.08.022)
