Yes, UVC can be used to fight Delta and all the new COVID variants including Omicron, Delta Plus and Lambda
It's becoming increasingly clear that our societies are going to be dealing with COVID Omicron, Delta, Lambda, and other variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. While vaccinations continue across the globe, with the new variants emerging it's clearly not enough. UVC light has been proven to be a safe and effective way to purify the air of nearly all viruses and bacteria, including SARS-CoV-2.
In order for us to provide clean air for indoor locations we need to bring new tools to the fight. UVC is a tried and true technology that has been used effectively for medical sterilization and food safety for many years. Now, that same technology is being used to help keep kids safe in schools and keep critical facilities running.
COVID and other pathogens will continue to change and provide new challenges to public health. UVC has been proven time and time again to be a powerful tool in this fight for safer air quality.
How does UVC fight against the COVID Omicron variant?
The wavelength of UVC light is perfect for disrupting the replication process of DNA within a virus. By hitting each virus with photons in the UVC spectrum we can make sure that the virus is deactivated and can no longer reproduce. This works for all of the known variants including Omicron, Delta and Lambda and should work for all future variants
because of how UVC impacts DNA and how this doesn't change as a virus changes over time. UVC will treat new variants the exact same way; by disrupting its ability to replicate it neutralizes its potential threat.
Are there studies to back this up?
Yes! UVC has been used effectively since the 1870s when its germicidal properties were first discovered. You can read about the history of UVC germicidal irradiation (UVGI) here: The History of Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation for Air Disinfection (nih.gov)
Here is a specific research paper discussing how UVC impacts COVID: UV-C irradiation is highly effective in inactivating SARS-CoV-2 replication | Scientific Reports (nature.com)
For further reading:
"The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 pandemic became a global health burden. We determined the susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 to irradiation with ultraviolet light. The virus was highly susceptible to ultraviolet light. A viral stock with a high infectious titer of 5 × 106 TCID50/mL was completely inactivated by UVC irradiation after nine minutes of exposure. The UVC dose required for complete inactivation was 1,048 mJ/cm2. UVA exposure demonstrated only a weak effect on virus inactivation over 15 minutes. Hence, inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by UVC irradiation constitutes a reliable method for disinfection purposes in health care facilities and for preparing SARS-CoV-2 material for research purpose."
Study examines SARS-CoV-2's inactivation across a range of UVC wavelengths (news-medical.net)
Susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 to UV irradiation - ScienceDirect
To answer more questions about UVC light is used we've created an FAQ.
Now what?
Light Progress has been providing UVC solutions to various industries such as medical facilities and food production for over 30 years. Now we are taking those same solutions to schools, offices, and other facilities around the globe. With over 200 products available we have UVC solutions for nearly every situation imaginable. From mobile fans, to upper air, as well as units that work directly with existing HVAC systems. No filters needed, just high powered UVC virus destroying light.
Contact us today for a custom solution or talk to us about how we can help your existing clients.