Does UV Light Work on Airborne Viruses?
As the American workforce continues to return to the office, the question on the minds of many business managers and owners is: how can you prevent airborne disease?
After the Covid-19 pandemic, many employees are hesitant to return to a workplace where their physical health is not top of mind, and nearly 40% of employees say that inadequate disinfection practices might lead them to look for work elsewhere.
The use of UV light for sterilization purposes has been around since the late 1800s, but recent developments have made UV light a viable option even for occupied spaces like offices.
But is UV light helpful in preventing airborne illness?
The short answer is yes, UV light disinfection is incredibly effective against airborne pathogens, including viruses and bacteria. In fact, according to one study, the right UV light disinfection solution can reduce SARS-CoV-2 (the virus responsible for Covid-19) down to undetectable levels within 30 minutes. In order to see this level of reduction in your office, here are some things you should know.
What Kind of UV Light is Effective Against Airborne Diseases?
UV-C is a short-wavelength type of UV light that is highly effective against airborne viruses and bacteria, as well as mold and fungi. It’s so effective that it’s commonly referred to as germicidal UV light.
As direct exposure to normal UV-C light can also be harmful to your skin and eyes, Violet Defense provides safe and effective UV-C disinfection solutions that are used in unoccupied spaces with built-in PIR sensors to shut off if motion is detected. These lights have been shown to kill up to 99.9% of airborne viruses and bacteria, making them great for offices, clinics, and athletic facilities, to name a few.
With the use of UV-C light, employees can return to the office with the peace of mind that comes with knowing that the air they’re breathing has been sanitized long before they breathe it in and the surfaces they frequently touch are also disinfected.
Utilizing UV-C air sterilization methods is an essential step in drastically reducing the number of illnesses that are passed around the office and helps to create a safer and more welcoming work environment overall.
How Does UV-C Light Prevent Airborne Diseases?
UV-C, like other forms of UV light, works by attacking the DNA and RNA of viruses and bacteria. UV-C light also significantly reduces the ability of viruses to latch onto human cells because of the damage it does to the surface proteins.
If that sounds a little technical, that’s because it is, but in simple terms, UV-C light inhibits the ability of viruses and bacteria to invade your body and reproduce.
When it comes to getting sick, a few bacterial cells or viral particles are usually not enough to affect us. We get sick when either a virus or bacterium gets into our system and then spreads through rapid reproduction.
In other words, if pathogens can no longer reproduce, they are considered to be “dead” and are no longer capable of causing illness, even if a few of them make it into your body.
The key to how this works is twofold and relies on wavelength and dosage time.
The germicidal wavelengths of UV-C light disinfection solutions range between 200-280 nanometers, but other wavelengths in the UV-B, and UV-A range can also be effective.
At Violet Defense, our pulsed Xenon UV technology emits the full UV spectrum, as well as visible blue light, all of which possess antibacterial properties, to ensure we’re providing all of the optimal wavelengths for deactivating bacteria and viruses.
The dosage time is also important but more complicated, as it depends on the size of the bacteria or virus and the size of the space that is being sterilized.
That’s why we at Violet Defense recommend a layered approach for your sterilization needs.
The Impact of UV-C Light on Covid-19
After 2020, the most pressing question for many might be how effective UV-C light is against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is the virus responsible for Covid-19.
Since then, several studies have been conducted and data indicates that UV-C light is very efficient at destroying the outer coating of SARS-CoV-2.
The outer coating of a virus is called a capsid. While the role of a capsid can be complex, in basic terms, the capsid is responsible for protecting the genetic material of the virus and transporting it into your body. This, in turn, is what eventually leads to infection and illness.
However, if the capsid is destroyed or damaged, the ability of the virus to infect its host is reduced significantly.
So in short, yes, UV-C light is likely an effective sterilization tool for reducing the spread of Covid-19, but more studies may be needed to determine the optimal wavelength and exposure time.
Outside of SARS-CoV-2, UV-C light is also highly effective against various other viruses and bacteria, including:
H1N1 (influenza)
Norovirus
Other forms of SARS
MRSA
C-diff (a big problem in long-term care facilities and hospitals)
And certain forms of pneumonia
Where Should You Install a UV-C Lamp?
Now that the mechanisms and benefits of UV-C disinfection solutions have been covered, the next logical question is when and where to use them.
Remember that direct contact with UV-C light can be harmful to your skin and eyes, so it’s important to find a solution that takes sterilization and safety into account.
Violet Defense’s technology is fitted with security measures to prevent any accidental UV-C radiation exposure, including the ability to schedule the units to come on automatically overnight or at other times when the spaces are unoccupied.
With our built-in safety features, light disinfection is now safe for use in any number of spaces, including:
Offices
Homes
Hospitals
Senior living facilities
Schools and universities
Manufacturing facilities
AdvisorEngine Chose Violet Defense for UV Disinfection
One of our most recent clients at Violet Defense is AdvisorEngine, a Florida-based developer of a wealth management platform for financial advisors.
Providing their employees with a safe and clean work environment has become a top priority for AdvisorEngine. They wanted a way to maximize the health and safety of their workers, while simultaneously taking proactive measures to disinfect shared spaces and equipment.
AdvisorEngine chose Violet Defense for their disinfecting needs and, along with opting for our pulsed Xenon UV disinfection solutions, also installed two Fighter units from PURO Air into their air handling systems.
Reach out today for your free consultation and let us help you find the right solution for your disinfecting needs.