UV light ‘very efficient’ in killing airborne coronavirus: study

“A very low exposure to far-UVC light killed well over 99.9 per cent of the exposed virus,” lead researcher Dr David Brenner told Reuters.

The idea would be to install overhead far-UVC lights in public locations, where they would be “continuously killing microbes, including the COVID-19 virus – and so limiting the spread of the virus,” Dr Brenner said, adding that far-UVC manufacturers are already ramping up production.

“We don’t see far-UVC light as an alternative to masks and social distancing. “We see it as a new extra weapon that we can use in the battle against COVID-19.”

But there is no suggestion the study findings would be applicable as a treatment, as it only targets airborne viruses or those on surfaces.

No amount of UV light is proven to impact the virus inside the human body.