Clinical application of 222 nm wavelength ultraviolet C irradiation on SARS CoV-2 contaminated environments

Wen-Lin Su; Chih-Pei Lin; Hui-Ching Huang; Yao-Kuang Wu; Mei-Chen Yang; Sheg-Kang Chiu; Ming-Yieh Peng; Ming-Chin Chan; You-Chen Chao

doi:10.1016/j.jmii.2021.12.005

Clinical application of 222 nm wavelength ultraviolet C irradiation on SARS CoV-2 contaminated environments

J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2022 Feb;55(1):166-169. doi: 10.1016/j.jmii.2021.12.005. Epub 2022 Jan 13.

Authors

Wen-Lin Su¹, Chih-Pei Lin², Hui-Ching Huang³, Yao-Kuang Wu¹, Mei-Chen Yang¹, Sheg-Kang Chiu⁴, Ming-Yieh Peng⁵, Ming-Chin Chan⁶, You-Chen Chao⁷

Affiliations

¹ Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei, Taiwan; School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.
² Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei, Taiwan; School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.
³ Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei, Taiwan.
⁴ Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei, Taiwan; School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan; Infection Control Center, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei, Taiwan.
⁵ Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei, Taiwan; Infection Control Center, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei, Taiwan.
⁶ Infection Control Center, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei, Taiwan.
⁷ School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan; Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan. Electronic address: chaoycmd@tzuchi.com.tw.

Abstract

This was a preliminary study on ultraviolet C (UVC) irradiation for SARS-CoV-2-contaminated hospital environments. Forty-eight locations were tested for SARS-CoV-2 using RT-PCR (33.3% contamination rate). After series dosages of 222-nm UVC irradiation, samples from the surfaces were negative at 15 s irradiation at 2 cm length (fluence: 81 mJ/cm²).

Keywords: 222-nm ultraviolet C; COVID-19; Environmental sampling; RT-PCR; SARS-CoV-2.

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Disinfection
Humans
SARS-CoV-2*
Ultraviolet Rays
Virus Inactivation / radiation effects