Some Seeking Out UV Lights To Help Fight Germs Amid Pandemic
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Nearly eight months into this pandemic, people are searching for new ways to stay safe that go beyond wearing a mask and social distancing.
There's been a surge of interest in germ-killing light bulbs. It's a technology that's been used for decades, but can it help protect against COVID-19?
"If this year so far is any indication of where it's going, it's almost going to become standard," said Oscar Poort, General Manager at Bonney, a company that installs germ-killing UV lights in homes and businesses.
He said when air passes over these UV bulbs the light breaks down the DNA sequence of a virus.
"Definitely every flu season we see an uptick in people interested in them and obviously this year we've seen a tremendous interest," Poort said.
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On Amazon, you can find hand-held UV light sanitizers promising to kill germs on things like silverware and remotes.
Experts say it's a good way to give people peace of mind, but they can't say for sure that UV light kills COVID 19. The Food and Drug Administration said UV-C light is a known disinfectant for air, water and nonporous surfaces but very little research has been done on how it could affect COVID 19.
"I would approach it as another layer of protection," Poort said. "The same way how social distancing is a layer of protection, masks are a layer, everything that we do."
It's another option at a time when household disinfectants can be hard to come by.
