The promise of far-UVC light for killing the COVID-19 virus

Since early March of this year I’ve been intrigued with the idea of some band or frequency of light being effective in killing the virus. This morning I spent some time doing research on far-uvc. Here are some of the top things I found:

    • Ultra-violet light has been known for many years to be effective at killing virus, bacteria, etc. However, ultra-violet light is also harmful to humans as a carcinogen for our skin and also causes harm to eyes. Hospitals, etc currently used ultra-violet light for disinfecting operating rooms, etc. It’s known to be very effective.
    • Far-uvc light is very effective at killing COVID-19 virus – along with lots of other virus, bacteria and pathogens, but far-uvc light – at 222 nanometers – does not penetrate the layer of dead skin cells and is believed to be safe for humans. But it is still lethal to viruses.
    • Columbia University is doing an extended 60 week test of far-uvc light on hairless mice. At least weekly they check the mice for damage to skin and eyes. After 38 weeks it still appears to be safe for the mice.
    • Far-uvc light has not been FDA approved yet. But tests, etc – which have been going on for several years – is very promising. The hope is that within a couple or several months that far-uvc will be FDA-certified and products can sold commercially.
    • Some companies are already ramping up production capabilities.

 

Here are some of the articles and videos I read/watched this morning.

How Will You Measure Your Life

Clayton Christensen passed away the other day. This talk is particularly powerful in context of his recent death.

He is one of my favorite business consultants/strategists. His thoughts – on many topics – resonate with me. I’m going to miss his insights.

Idaho Potato Farmers Help a Fellow Farmer Out