Nobody wants to catch the flu, but since it’s airborne, sometimes it is just inevitable especially someone’s immune system is incredibly low. Some people may think that flu is not exactly as deadly as it may seem, but there are actually some flu viruses that are powerful enough to kill a person.
Which is why a new study was conducted that was posted by the Scientific Reports, wherein it was reported that scientists have developed an ultraviolet lamp that has the power to kill influenza virus but does not exactly harmful to people’s eyes and skin.
This new technology is hoped to be commercialized so that it could help tons of people and have it used not just in homes but in public places such as schools, malls, airports, and hospitals so that viruses wouldn’t spread through the air, continue reading to find out more.
The Power of UltraViolet
According to the director of the Center for Radiological Research at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, David Brenner, who is also the leader of this study, said that they have known for quite a while now that ultraviolet light has the power to kill different kinds of bacteria and viruses.
This is one of the main reasons why ultraviolet lights are actually used when it comes to sterilization of medical equipment, especially in hospitals. However, these kinds of convention germicidal lamps that contain ultraviolet are not exactly safe for people to be around.
If a person gets exposed from too much of it, that person may have skin cancer or even cataracts in the eyes. Which is one of the reasons why this type of sterilization is only applicable when no one is around.
A team of researchers from Columbia University managed to find a solution for this about five years ago. They have discovered that a light on an end of the UV-C spectrum actually has shorter wavelengths, this is the reasons why the researchers have come up with the idea that this could basically penetrate as well as has the power to destroy bacteria and viruses, but is not powerful enough to cause skin cancer and damage people’s eyes.
This is what Brenner’s team are aiming for, they have conducted some experiments on animals as well as with humans when it comes to UVC-Light, and it turns out that is definitely not a health hazard.
He also mentioned Dr jay they have not encountered any biological damage on a living thing’s skin and eyes. They even did a successful experiment wherein they discovered how the UVC-Light could actually destroy an MRSA bacteria, which is the kind of bacteria that a person gets with having infections from a surgery.
UVC-Light Will Soon Be Available
Since Brenner along with his team of researchers and scientists have managed to show how effective the UVC-Light is when it comes to destroying airborne bacteria, they have now moved on to testing it in public places.
The most airborne virus that killed millions of people recently was the H1N1 virus, Brenner believes that UVC-Light could kill bacteria that is spreading through this air especially in places like doctor’s waiting rooms, public toilets, play area, schools, shopping centers and more.
Which is why they are now working with a company that could bring this project to life so it could now be available in the market soon. He also mentioned that it would probably cost less than $1,000 which is considerably cheap since it would be used for general circulation and not for personal use.
Brenner also believes that this could be used in operating rooms since a sterilized room could still be infected by bacteria especially if the medic also the staff are carrying it. Having the UVC-Light as a lamp in a surgical site could help clean and sanitize the air so that the patient wouldn’t be at risk of any infections.
Unfortunately, there is no accurate date as to when this kind of ultraviolet lamp would ready to release in public, but one thing is for sure, because of the advanced technology, this would be sooner. Companies would, of course, want to be the one to provide sanitation in the most public places without being a health hazard. This could definitely solve thousands of cases of flu, especially during flu season.
