Do UV Sanitizers lights actually work?
While the evidence that UV sanitizers destroy the novel coronavirus is inconclusive, The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine believe the technology should work. UV light is effective against other coronaviruses, including the one that causes MERS, and the US government continues to work with industry leaders to define standards for UV-disinfection-technology settings.
Furthermore, CleanSlate, a company that sells UV-C sanitizing solutions to the healthcare, hospitality, and food-processing industries, released data in July showing that UV Sanitizers lights can kill 99.979% of MS2 bacteriophage, a surrogate for viral human pathogens such as the novel coronavirus, in just 20 seconds. Since most commercial laboratories don't meet containment standards for handling the novel coronavirus, such testing is as close as we can get, for the time being.
Many hospitals already use UV light to disinfect against superbugs and have ramped up efforts in hopes that it will have the same effect on COVID-19. Duke University’s network of hospitals have used UV disinfection for years. And in 2017, a study published in The Lancet, funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found UV disinfection can reduce transmission of the four most common superbugs—MRSA, VRE, C. difficile, and Acinetobacter—by a cumulative 30%.
Although UVC-C irradiation destroys Covid-19, it should be used as a second line of defense against viruses and microbes in general, since hand-washing, masks, and social distancing are easier and more effective. It’s also worth mentioning that the UVC-C irradiation systems used in commercial settings are dramatically different than those of consumer products. In fact, we’ve found very few consumer products in this category that we can recommend at this time.