This year, influenza has already claimed thousands of lives and continues to spread aggressively across the United States. Yet researchers have recently demonstrated that a particular variety of ultraviolet light might be able to destroy flu viruses without posing any danger to human tissue.
Combating Disease
A fresh investigation from Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) reveals that far ultraviolet C (far-UVC) radiation can eradicate influenza viruses without harming human cells. The scientists propose that deploying far-UVC lights in settings such as hospitals, airports, and schools could substantially lower the number of flu infections.
It has long been understood that standard broad-spectrum UVC light can eliminate bacteria and viruses by disrupting molecular links — indeed, it is frequently employed to sterilize surgical tools. “Unfortunately,” study leader David J. Brenner, director of the Center for Radiological Research at CUIMC, stated in a press release, “conventional germicidal UV light is also a human health hazard and can lead to skin cancer and cataracts, which prevents its use in public spaces.”
This unique UV light variant can eliminate influenza while remaining harmless to people. Image Credit: sasint / pixabay
Thus, installing standard broad-spectrum UV lights in school corridors would have harmful consequences. However, this experiment did not employ broad-spectrum UV light — it utilized far-UVC light, a restricted band of radiation. This form of UV also fights infections and “has a very limited range and cannot penetrate through the outer dead-cell layer of human skin or the tear layer in the eye, so it’s not a human health hazard,” Brenner explained in the press release.
The findings were published on February 9 in the journal Scientific Reports.
A Severe Flu Outbreak
This year has witnessed an exceptionally severe flu season in the United States. It is expected to surpass the fatality rate of the 2009-2010 Swine Flu, with roughly 4,000 deaths occurring each week. According to Anne Schuchat, acting director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in an interview with Fortune, “We have a lot to learn still about influenza.”
While researchers continue their dedicated efforts to gain deeper insights into the illness, more efficient and widely available therapies might emerge. Even though this study shows that extremely low doses of far-UVC light can deactivate flu viruses, these results must still be confirmed and tested across diverse environments.
Nevertheless, if it is verified that this type of light can destroy flu viruses without endangering people, it could become an invaluable resource. Overhead fixtures in healthcare facilities, public areas, and even private residences could effectively neutralize airborne viruses, stopping their transmission and preventing new infections.
Perhaps, one day, saving countless lives might be as straightforward as swapping out a light bulb.
