Research
References for application of UVC technology for Healthcare
- UVC light has been proven effective in killing the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Test data shows UVC lighting providing a 6 log, ie. 99.9999% kill of SARS-CoV-2 in 9 minutes (Susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 to UV irradiation, Heilingloh, Department of Infectious Diseases, West German Centre of Infectious Diseases, Universitatsmedizin Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Germany, October 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0196655320307562 - UVC light was demonstrated to reduce MRSA, VRE, or CD by 87% in patient room post-discharge when applied after manual use of accelerated hydrogen peroxide for surfaces and neutral detergent for floors. The manual cleaning along only reduced these HAIs by 17%. (Post-discharge decontamination of MRSA, VRE, and Clostridium difficile isolation rooms using 2 commercially available automated ultraviolet-C–emitting devices, by Wong, Woznow, Petrie, Murzello, Muniak, Kadora, Bryce. Division of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Vancouver General Hospital, BC, Canada, American Journal of Infection Control, October, 2015)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26684367/ - Studies have shown viral infection reductions of 22-44% in long-term care facilities adding UVC room disinfection to established disinfection protocols using solvents (Evaluation of an Ultraviolet Room Disinfection Protocol to Decrease Nursing Home Microbial Burden Infection and Hospitalization Rates, Kovach, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2017)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5335784/
(The effect of ultraviolet-C technology on viral infection incidence in a pediatric long-term care facility” by Pavia, Simpser, Becker, Mainquist, & Velez, St Mary's Hospital for Children, Bayside, NY, The Clorox Company, Oakland, CA, American Journal of Infection Control 46, January, 2018) - UVC has been demonstrated to break a chain on recontamination of C. Diff between patients sharing room in a long-term care facility more effectively than manual application of 10% bleach solution. (Environmental decontamination with ultraviolet radiation to prevent recurrent Clostridium difficile infection for two roommates in a long-term care facility, by Sitzlar, Vajravelu, Jury, Donskey, Jump, Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol, May 2012)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6913032/
There is significant research sponsored by the CDC, NIH, and other institutions around the world validating the application of germicidal UVGI technology also called UVC technology to reduce pathogens and infection rates in healthcare applications.
https://www.ajicjournal.org/article/S0196-6553(18)30035-X/pdf
- Coronavirus is having a devastating impact on long-term care facilities. It is estimated that residents and staff of long-term care facilities make up nearly 45% of U.S. coronavirus deaths (Pew Trusts, COVID-19 Testing Falls Short in Long-Term Care Facilities, by Lindsey Van Ness, July 15, 2020)
https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2020/07/15/covid-19-testing-falls-short-in-long-term-care-facilities - Studies have shown that traditional methods of environmental disinfection in nursing homes have gaps and vulnerabilities to pathogen management which can be significantly improved with the additional of UVC lighting to the IPC protocol (Evaluation of an automated ultraviolet radiation device for decontamination of Clostridium difficile and other healthcare-associated pathogens in hospital rooms, BMC Infectious Diseases, by Nerandzic, Cadnum, Pultz, and Donskey, 2010)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20615229/
Current methodologies of room disinfection utilized by nursing home have gaps and vulnerabilities in effectively and consistently killing and controlling the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Coronavirus and other healthcare associated infections (HAIs) of concern.
- 765,000 to 2.8 million HAI infections occur every year in NHs/SNFs (The Burden of Infection in Long-Term Care, Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2000 by Strausbaugh and Joseph)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11083186/ - It is conservatively estimated that HAI’s account for over 150,000 hospitalizations of the NH/SNF population resulting in over $673 million in additional healthcare costs (Factors Differentiating Hospital Transfer From Long-Term Care Facilities with High or Low Transfer rates, Gerontologist, Dec 1991, by Teresi, Holms, Bloom, Monaco, and Rosen)
https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/article-abstract/31/6/795/636186 - It is estimated that 380,000 deaths occur among nursing facility residents annually due to HAIs, (Factors Differentiating Hospital Transfer From Long-Term Care Facilities with High or Low Transfer rates, Gerontologist, Dec 1991, by Teresi, Holms, Bloom, Monaco, and Rosen)
https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/article-abstract/31/6/795/636186