Disinfection and decontamination of surfaces by exposure to UVC radiation (specifically, 253.7 nm) has been used for more than 40 years against a whole suite of human pathogens. The use of adequate doses of UV-C has been shown to achieve a high level of inactivation of a near-relative of COVID-19’s virus, SARS COV-1. The International Ultraviolet Association (IUVA) believes similar results can be expected when treating current COVID-19’s virus, SARS COV-2.
Given the global impact and severity of COVID-19, there has been an enormous spike in the interest of using UVC as a disinfectant. Numerous devices are now on the market that use UVC. Hospitals, automobiles, airplanes, trains, commercial and residential interior space are all possible use-cases for periodic decontamination. Further examples are interior of school buses, airplanes, taxi cabs and other ride-sharing vehicles, public waiting areas, museums, production and office sites and many more.
Note: The terms “UVC” and “UV-C” are both used in the literature interchangeably. UVC radiation (or UVC light) is defined as electromagnetic radiation between 100-280 nm. Alternative names for UVC include short-wave UV and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, or UVGI.