Chennai: A latest study has found that ultraviolet (UV) light such as fluorescent lamps, microcavity plasmas, and LEDs can inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the virus that causes Covid-19.
According to the study, published in the journal ACS Nano, using UV light may be an efficient, easily deployable, and economically affordable method to reduce Covid-19 transmission in indoor spaces.
It said that by irradiating this type of light inside the ventilation systems of buildings and in shared indoor spaces while not in use, it is possible to quickly and efficiently deactivate airborne and surface-deposited SARS-CoV-2 viruses that cause Covid-19.
The researchers, including those from CFO – The Institute of Photonic Sciences in Spain, also explored costs and investments in deploying such technology. They explained that a global capital investment of a few billion dollars in UV-C sources could protect indoor workers worldwide.
The researches said that a long series of studies suggest that virus transmission in indoor spaces has a much higher transmission rate than outdoors.
Filters and chemicals have been presented as possible solutions to minimise this problem, they added.
However, even though these are efficient solutions to reduce the concentration of contaminated particles and droplets through ventilation systems, their installation may be costly and time-consuming, they said.
In addition, chemicals such as ozone are very effective for virus disinfection, but if misused they are harmful for humans, the researchers said.