How to avoid superspreading covid events

GUV can kill half of the germs floating in indoor air every minute or less easily and quietly. Developed and tested for the first time in the 1930s, from the same technology as fluorescent lamps. It is still widely used in tuberculosis treatment rooms, as well as in some major hospital systems and homeless shelters.

There are three types of ultraviolet light rays: UVA, UVB, and UVC. GUV uses UVC, which unlike the UVA and UVB rays of sunlight, does not cause skin cancer because it cannot penetrate deep enough into the skin. Conventional GUV technology could cause temporary eye irritation, so it is placed above people’s heads in rooms with ceilings of about three meters or more. It is also best used in conjunction with ceiling fans to ensure that germs in a room are blown out into the area where the GUV can render them harmless.

The new GUV technologies available on the market are even safer for the skin and do not irritate the eyes. They can be safely used in lower areas of a room and can disinfect the air directly between people sitting at the table.

A major obstacle to their widespread use is that GUV technologies must be installed by experts and require a different set of technical knowledge than that required to upgrade a building’s ventilation and filtration systems (both of which remain vitally important). The initial equipment costs and installation of a highly efficient GUV system can often be cheaper than refurbishing or replacing ventilation systems. In addition, the GUV system disinfects the air faster and with far less electricity than ventilation and filtration, making it a climate-friendly solution for high-risk environments.

As experts studying the ways viruses can spread indoors, we believe that disinfection of the air using germicidal ultraviolet light, or GUV, could have prevented the Gridiron club from overspreading. This technology should become the norm for large indoor gatherings where food is served and face coverings are not worn. The coronavirus pandemic has made it clear that removing germs from indoor air must be a top priority to prevent coronavirus infections and future pandemics. Increased ventilation is known to be related to a reduction of work absenteeism and a lower presence of viruses in the air in the workspace.

Americans have long been able to turn on the tap with confidence that drinking that water will not give them cholera or other illnesses. Like drinking clean water, breathing healthy indoor air, especially in crowded public places, will prevent respiratory epidemics. Outbreaks will be much easier to control, without the need for economic disruption and politicization. Ventilation and filtration will go a long way in reducing contagion in homes and offices. Air disinfection can make spaces at highest risk of spread safer, such as conference rooms, restaurants, meat and poultry packing plants, nursing homes, and prisons, among other places.

GUV is already available on the market, and building owners and operators should be encouraged to adopt it through subsidies and tax incentives. We can put an end to big superspreading events and make public events and dinners safer for everyone. What are we waiting for?

Donald K. Milton (@Don_Milton) is a professor of environmental and occupational health at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. Edward A. Nardell is a professor of medicine at Harvard University School of Medicine. David Michaels is a professor of occupational and environmental health at the George Washington University School of Public Health. He was assistant secretary of labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration from 2009 to 2017.

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