You can kill Covid with a flick of a switch, study shows

Ultraviolet LED lights kill coronavirus quickly, efficiently and cheaply -- but don’t go stringing purple lights all over your home

ISRAEL21c

Health and Medicine | Comments | December 25, 2020

insert picture — *Israeli researchers discover that coronavirus can be quickly and easily killed using UV LED lights. Photo by Nor Gal via Shutterstock*

As the world continues to race toward a vaccine for Covid-19, new Israeli research shows that the humble light bulb could become a major player in the fight against the pandemic. Researchers have discovered that coronavirus can be killed quickly, efficiently and cheaply using ultraviolet light-emitting diodes, or UV LED lights. In a study recently published in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology researchers found the optimal wavelength for killing the coronavirus is 267 nanometers.

They also discovered that a wavelength of 286 nanometers is almost as efficient, requiring less than half a minute to destroy more than 99.9 percent of the coronaviruses – good news considering that 286 nm LED bulbs are much cheaper and more readily available, and could be installed in air conditioning and water systems. Tel Aviv University’s Prof. Hadas Mamane, who led the study, believes that the technology will soon be available for use. “The entire world is currently looking for effective solutions to disinfect the coronavirus,” she says. “The problem is that in order to disinfect a bus, train, sports hall or plane by chemical spraying, you need physical manpower, and in order for the spraying to be effective, you have to give the chemical time to act on the surface.-- More...

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ISRAEL21c was founded in 2001, in the wake of the Second Intifada, to broaden public understanding of Israel beyond typical portrayals in the mainstream media.

The organization’s founders – Israeli-American technology executives – understood the great power of the Internet and developed a first-of-its kind online product with global appeal and reach.