Covid can be destroyed by UVC radiation, as shown by a study by researchers from Hiroshima University on surfaces contaminated by SARS-COV-2
Covid ”can be destroyed with a beam of light”. This was stated by researchers from Hiroshima University who, in the course of an investigation into the virus responsible for the pandemic, came across an astonishing discovery to say the least.
The team of scholars led by Professor Hiroki Kitagawa found, in fact, that ultraviolet C light, with a wavelength of 222 nanometers, effectively counteracts SARS-CoV-2 on contaminated surfaces and indoors, making it harmless for people human beings.
Research
The results of the study, titled Effectiveness of 222-nm ultraviolet light on disinfecting SARS-CoV-2 surface contamination, were published in the American Journal of Infection Control. Through an in vitro experiment, the researchers were able to ascertain that as many as 99.7% of the SARS-CoV-2 viral strain was destroyed after exposure of about 30 seconds to a UVC light beam of 222 nanometers at 0.1 mW / cm2. Previous studies involving Far-UVC radiation have only examined the potency in eradicating seasonal coronaviruses structurally similar to SARS-CoV-2 but never, specifically, COVID-19. In this sense, the discovery turns out to be truly the first and only in the world to date.
The experimental tests
The tests were conducted using a particular diffuser, that is, a Ushio Care222TM crypto-chloride excimer lamp. A 100 microliter solution containing the virus (approximately 5 × 106 TCID50 / mL) was spread on a sterile 9 cm polystyrene plate. The researchers allowed the mixture to dry in a biological safety cabinet at room temperature before placing the Far-UVC lamp 24 centimeters above the surface of the plates. The result of the observation gave amazing results.
Results and considerations of the researchers
A wavelength of 222 nm UVC cannot penetrate the outer layer of the human eye or the skin, so it will not cause damage to the underlying living cells. This makes this particular beam of light a safer, but equally powerful, alternative to the more damaging 254 nanometer UVC germicidal lamps increasingly used in sanitation disinfection. Since the 254 nm UVC damages exposed human tissue, the study signatories point out, it can only be used to disinfect empty rooms. However, it can prove to be a useful expedient for disinfecting indoor public spaces, including hospitals where nosocomial infections are possible. However, researchers suggest further evaluation of the safety and efficacy of 222nm UVC radiation in clearing SARS-CoV-2 viruses from surfaces since their study only looked at efficacy in vitro.
Source “Il Giornale“.
