Yesterday, the Department of Health (DOH) warned consumers to buy UV lights (ultraviolet) against COVID-19 because many of those sold, especially in online stores, are not effective against coronavirus.
The statement was made by Vergeire in an online forum regarding the use of portable ultraviolet or UV lights and lamps by some Filipinos to sanitize their belongings that may have contained the COVID-19 virus.
Vergeire said that there are types of UV lights that are effective against the virus, but these are the ones that are actually used in hospital settings and clinics.
“Pero yung mga binibili po natin sa Lazada, katulad po ng mga hinahawakan lang na parang wand o kaya iba pang mga instrumento na UV lamp, ito po ay hindi makakapagbigay ng proteksyon para po sa ating mga kababayan,” said Vergeire.
(But the ones we buy at Lazada, like the ones we just hold like a wand or other UV lamp instruments, will not provide protection for our countrymen.)
The DOH has previously said that they do not recommend the public use of UV lamps for disinfection against bacteria and viruses.
Vergeire also said there is no evidence yet that personal air purifiers are resistant to COVID-19.
UV lights from Lazada, online shops not effective vs. COVID-19: DOH
According to the US Food and Drug Administration, Ultraviolet-C (UVC) radiation is a known disinfectant for air, water, and nonporous surfaces. UVC radiation has effectively been used for decades to reduce the spread of bacteria, such as tuberculosis. For this reason, UVC lamps are often called “germicidal” lamps.
UVC radiation has been shown to destroy the outer protein coating of the SARS-Coronavirus, which is a different virus from the current SARS-CoV-2 virus. The destruction ultimately leads to the inactivation of the virus.
“UVC radiation can only inactivate a virus if the virus is directly exposed to the radiation. Therefore, the inactivation of viruses on surfaces may not be effective due to blocking of the UV radiation by soil, such as dust, or other contaminants such as bodily fluids,” it added.
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