Scientists hope far-UVC light could help stop the next airborne pandemic before it starts
Five years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic first swept across the U.S., infecting millions and claiming hundreds of thousands of lives. Scientists are already concerned about the next airborne threat, but in the future, a powerful new weapon may be waiting in the wings.
Far-UVC light is a form of ultraviolet light that can kill viruses and bacteria in the air without harming humans. Researchers say it could be instrumental in stopping the spread of illnesses like the flu and possibly future pandemics.
Columbia University physicist David Brenner says the lights work by damaging the genes of disease-causing microbes. Brenner's initial main target has been seasonal flu, but that could change.
"UV light really doesn't care about the details of whether it's a bacteria or a virus. It can kill all of them, essentially," Brenner said.
Conventional UVC light is currently used to sanitize surfaces in places like hospitals, but it's not shined directly at people, because it can harm the eyes and skin. In contrast, far-UVC has a shorter wavelength and is safer, because it can't penetrate the tear layer of the eye or the top layers of the skin.
The CDC says far-UVC is promising, but more research is needed — one reason Brenner, an adviser to a manufacturer of UVC lamps, set up a UVC laboratory. In the lab, there's an experimental room that simulates real life and controls for conditions like humidity and airflow. Researchers can also measure the amount of virus in the air before and after they turn on the far-UVC lamp.
"I'd say the development has been slow and steady," Brenner said.
After more than a decade in development, far-UVC has been installed at the Club Cafe in Boston, where the hope is to share music — not COVID or flu — with the help of 17 small fixtures attached to the ceiling. It's also in a dental clinic at Columbia. This past October, Professor David Putrino at Mount Sinai Hospital installed the devices in a rehabilitation center.
"We did a deep dive on the literature. So, after looking at all those studies, it really alleviated any concerns that we would have about safety," Putrino said.
Scott Hensley, a bird flu researcher at University of Pennsylvania, is concerned about the virus that has already rocked the dairy industry and infected 70 people in the U.S. With more human infections comes more chances for a random mutation that could make it possible for human-to-human transmission, he said.
If bird flu does start to infect people through the air, far-UVC could combine with vaccines, masks and improved ventilation to help curb indoor spread.
"What we're hoping is that we can take a bite out of that next pandemic, which you know is gonna come, whether it's bird flu or whether it's something we don't know yet, it will come," Brenner said.
