What do we know about UV light and COVID-19?
What do we know about UV light and COVID-19?
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Using an at-home ultraviolet (UV) light is ineffective at treating, curing or preventing COVID-19, and can be highly dangerous. There is one type of UV ray (UVC rays) that can kill the COVID-19 virus, but it is highly dangerous to use UVC ray treatment unless you’re properly trained. It is not intended for use outside of hospital settings, such as in public non-hospital spaces or at home. Exposing yourself or your belongings to at-home non-UVC UV rays through lamps or lights for any period of time does not prevent someone from spreading COVID-19 to another person or catching COVID-19 from another person, and does not disinfect items. Long-term exposure to sunlight or UV radiation can be very damaging and increase your risk of skin cancer. As of now, there is no clear benefit of using any at-home UV products for preventing or treating COVID-19.
Using an at-home ultraviolet (UV) light is ineffective at treating, curing or preventing COVID-19, and can be highly dangerous. There is one type of UV ray (UVC rays) that can kill the COVID-19 virus, but it is highly dangerous to use UVC ray treatment unless you’re properly trained. It is not intended for use outside of hospital settings, such as in public non-hospital spaces or at home. Exposing yourself or your belongings to at-home non-UVC UV rays through lamps or lights for any period of time does not prevent someone from spreading COVID-19 to another person or catching COVID-19 from another person, and does not disinfect items. Long-term exposure to sunlight or UV radiation can be very damaging and increase your risk of skin cancer. As of now, there is no clear benefit of using any at-home UV products for preventing or treating COVID-19.
Publication
What our experts say
Using an at-home ultraviolet (UV) light is ineffective at treating, curing or preventing COVID-19, and can be highly dangerous. There is one type of UV ray (UVC rays) that can kill the COVID-19 virus, but it is highly dangerous to use UVC ray treatment unless you’re properly trained. It is not intended for use outside of hospital settings, such as in public non-hospital spaces or at home. Exposing yourself or your belongings to at-home non-UVC UV rays through lamps or lights for any period of time does not prevent someone from spreading COVID-19 to another person or catching COVID-19 from another person, and does not disinfect items. Long-term exposure to sunlight or UV radiation can be very damaging and increase your risk of skin cancer. As of now, there is no clear benefit of using any at-home UV products for preventing or treating COVID-19.
Using an at-home ultraviolet (UV) light is ineffective at treating, curing or preventing COVID-19, and can be highly dangerous. There is one type of UV ray (UVC rays) that can kill the COVID-19 virus, but it is highly dangerous to use UVC ray treatment unless you’re properly trained. It is not intended for use outside of hospital settings, such as in public non-hospital spaces or at home. Exposing yourself or your belongings to at-home non-UVC UV rays through lamps or lights for any period of time does not prevent someone from spreading COVID-19 to another person or catching COVID-19 from another person, and does not disinfect items. Long-term exposure to sunlight or UV radiation can be very damaging and increase your risk of skin cancer. As of now, there is no clear benefit of using any at-home UV products for preventing or treating COVID-19.
Context and background
Recent UV light products have been circulating that claim to disinfect COVID-19 at up to 99.99% efficiency. Some of these products include UV lamps that claim to disinfect hands, a UV microwave-style “oven” that claims to disinfect objects, and UV chambers that claim to disinfect individuals. Either these products are highly ineffective, or they are highly dangerous. Ultraviolet or UV rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation, present in sunlight. Sunlight emits three kinds of UV rays: UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVC has the highest energy and is filtered by the atmosphere, so it does not naturally reach the Earth’s surface. UVC rays can come from some man-made sources, such as UV sanitizing bulbs. These bulbs can be used in indoor settings, such as hospitals, to disinfect medical equipment and surfaces. This is because UVC has the most energy of the three, and its energy can destroy the genetic material inside viruses. The genetic material in viruses includes information that can control the reproduction, development or behavior of a virus. But artificial UVC rays are extremely dangerous and deadly to humans and should not be used outside of professional settings to disinfect surfaces and objects.
Recent UV light products have been circulating that claim to disinfect COVID-19 at up to 99.99% efficiency. Some of these products include UV lamps that claim to disinfect hands, a UV microwave-style “oven” that claims to disinfect objects, and UV chambers that claim to disinfect individuals. Either these products are highly ineffective, or they are highly dangerous. Ultraviolet or UV rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation, present in sunlight. Sunlight emits three kinds of UV rays: UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVC has the highest energy and is filtered by the atmosphere, so it does not naturally reach the Earth’s surface. UVC rays can come from some man-made sources, such as UV sanitizing bulbs. These bulbs can be used in indoor settings, such as hospitals, to disinfect medical equipment and surfaces. This is because UVC has the most energy of the three, and its energy can destroy the genetic material inside viruses. The genetic material in viruses includes information that can control the reproduction, development or behavior of a virus. But artificial UVC rays are extremely dangerous and deadly to humans and should not be used outside of professional settings to disinfect surfaces and objects.
Resources
- Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: Myth busters (WHO)
- Ultraviolet radiation and the INTERSUN Programme (WHO)
- As Coronavirus Looms, Mask Shortage Gives Rise to Promising Approach (NYT)
- The role of vitamin D in the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 infection and mortality (Aging Clinical and Experimental Research)
- Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections: systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data (BMJ)
- Rapid evidence summary on SARS-CoV-2 survivorship and disinfection, and a reusable PPE protocol using a double-hit process (medRxiv)
- Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: Myth busters (WHO)
- Ultraviolet radiation and the INTERSUN Programme (WHO)
- As Coronavirus Looms, Mask Shortage Gives Rise to Promising Approach (NYT)
- The role of vitamin D in the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 infection and mortality (Aging Clinical and Experimental Research)
- Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections: systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data (BMJ)
- Rapid evidence summary on SARS-CoV-2 survivorship and disinfection, and a reusable PPE protocol using a double-hit process (medRxiv)
