There is Light at the End of the Coronavirus Tunnel and it’s From a UV Light!
There are many misunderstandings about UV light that are currently being circulated around the media empires, just like all of the misinformation about covid 19 which I previously wrote about in my last article. I will try to clarify in understandable language what the misunderstanding is about. The problem is that many people no longer believe in science and refuse to try to understand it. The understanding of UV light is a matter of life and death, so everyone should try to understand the science behind it, so here I go:
- What is UV Light? If you already know this, you can skip this section, but maybe I will have some new information for you. All energy has a frequency. Light is a form of energy. Visible light has a spectrum of colors that all have a frequency. UV light also has a spectrum but this light it is not visible to our eyes, (scientists think some animals can see this light though). There are various terms of measurements for all types of energy. I will only explain the terms for light energy.
- Wavelength: This is simple to understand. All light energy is measured by how long the wave of light is and is measured in meters. Ocean waves are measured this way, called a swell. Light waves are much shorter than a meter and thus are measured in nanometers, abbreviated to Nm. One Nm is one billionth of a meter!
- Frequency: This is how fast the waves transmit in time. Like the stations on your radio, they all have a frequency. This is measured in Hertz. The wavelength and frequency determine what kind of energy it is, and is measured in seconds of time, but is extremely fast, so it is measured in trillionths of a second, or terahertz, abbreviated to THz.
- Electromagnetic Radiation: This is what light is. It is a band of electromagnetic radiation, or EM, that is part of a wide range of radiation measured by wavelength and frequency. Here is a chart that displays the types of radiation and how they are divided:
- The Types of Ultraviolet Radiation: There are three main types of UV radiation; A, B, and C. They are called ultraviolet because they are at the violet end of the visible light spectrum as shown above. The other end of the visible light spectrum is red and called infrared radiation. UV A and B reach the earth and are responsible for sunburns, if overexposed, and getting a tan. UV B also reacts with the skin to create vitamin D in our bodies, which is crucial for fighting diseases like COVID 19.
- Far UVC: What does the word far refer to? This is simple to understand if you look at the chart above and the one below. This is simply referring to the distance on the EM scale on the far end of the wave form for UVC. On the infrared end there is far infrared:
- The Difference Between Far UVC and UVC: This is the most important part of this article. Far UVC is not dangerous to exposed flesh and full UVC is extremely dangerous to exposed flesh. Germicidal lamps using UVC have been used to disinfect inside areas for more than 20 years. On the first chart above you will notice a number of 254 on the UVC scale. This is the wavelength, 254Nm that is used in these lamps. There are strict regulations on their use because even a brief exposure can cause skin and eye damage and cancer. Timers, remote controls, and motion sensors, are used to prevent anyone from being in the room when these lights are used. These lamps are used in many places where it is crucial for disinfection like operating rooms. In 2018 some researchers experimented with different wavelengths of UVC light to see if they would still have disinfectant properties and be less harmful to exposure. They found that the wavelength of 222Nm of UVC light killed all infectious viruses, bacteria’s, and molds at the same rate as the full UVC lights. At this wavelength, the radiation did not penetrate the outer layers of the skin and eyes as does the full UVC light.
Warning: Please do not confuse the two types of lamps. If you buy a UVC lamp that is not a far UVC lamp, do not use it at any length of time in the presents of people. Check the specifications since there is and will be companies that claim that their lamps are far UVC, and really are not. Even a low level UVC lamp can cause serious health problems.
- Testing and Availability of Far UVC Germicidal Lights: The covid 19 pandemic started research into how this deadly virus could be stopped and is still ongoing. Early in 2020 it was announced that far UVC lamps were being tested at Columbia University for the safety to human exposure. They found that far UVC lamps showed no damage to exposure from the lamps. The lights were then given the OK to be sold commercially. They are now being used for disinfection by airlines and retirement homes. Here is an article about their use:
This is a device like the metal detectors at airports. You just stand there for a short time and it disinfects.
There are new devices being developed as I write and one of the most promising and affordable is being developed by a Michigan company. It is a chip that emits far UVC light. This is exciting because chips can easily be mass produced at a low cost. Here is an article with more information on this advance:
https://www.fierceelectronics.com/electronics/startup-chip-emits-safe-uvc-light-to-fight-covid-19
Recent Update: these devices are now being sold and available for pre ordering:
- What are the Advantages of Using these Far UVC Lamps? I think this is obvious, but it still seems to be flying under the radar of politicians and the news media. These lamps are safe to use everywhere. They kill all dangerous pathogens, not just covid 19, but all viruses, bacteria, and molds. They can be installed like a regular lamp and kill the bugs constantly in all spaces without any politics or effort of the people using the space. The light can even disinfect if the beam is reflected off of surfaces, so it then can reach under tables and in the areas not in a direct line of the beam. The most important advantage is that disinfects the air! If an infected person breaths out, the light kills the virus that is in the air as it comes out of their mouth and nose.
- Why is this Technology Flying Under the Radar? I can only come up with one reason, and recently I have seen proof of my theory. What happens if these lamps are used in all public places? Diseases that are spread in the air and surfaces will no longer be passed between people! Does that sound like a good thing? To most people it would be a resounding “Yes”! No more sickness and death from communicable diseases like colds, flu, pneumonia, or antibiotic resistant bacteria. Billions would be saved in hospital costs and lives lost. That should give us a clue to what is going on. Who would lose if far UVC lights were in all public places? I think you can figure this out; pharmaceutical companies that sell all of the medicines for the treatment of these diseases! There have been recent reports about the dangers of germicidal lights stating that people are being harmed by them. Here is one of them:
Why would NBC news and other news outlets report this? If you have watched these news channels, you will notice that almost every commercial break is flooded with pharmaceutical adds. Tell me there is no connection! Expect that this will continue in the future, but I am confident that science will win in the end. The world will be a much better place if far UVC lamps are used, and transmission of current diseases, and future outbreaks of potential Pandemic viruses, are stopped and eliminated.
Sources and further reading and updates:
Here re two new far UVC products being sold now:
https://healtheinc.com/product/healthe-space-cylinder/
https://healtheinc.com/product/healthe-air/
https://peterwetherill.com/2020/11/13/top-10-ways-to-end-covid-19-pandemic/
https://healtheinc.com/product/healthe-air/
https://www.ecmweb.com/lighting-control/article/21148670/faruvc-light-luminaire
https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/study-doctors-phones-too-often-contaminated-by-mrsa
https://www.ushio.eu/care222-uv-disinfection/
https://www.prolampsales.com/collections/far-uvc-excimer-lamps
#covid 19 #farUVC #Ultraviolet #UVC #germicidallamps #pandemic
Peter Chase Wetherill 
3 de December de 2020 at 15:21
Very interesting. I know I see in the stores the UV lights to clean your cell phones. Thank you for sharing. Stay safe!
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5 de December de 2020 at 12:53
Thanks SteveZ, The lights in the stores that clean cell phones are not far UVC lights. If they are UVC lights they can be dangerous if exposed to the eyes or skin. I would not use them. It is easier just to use a disinfectant wipe to clean your phone. A handheld far UVC light would be good for cellphones and other objects that need sterilization. Airlines are using them now but are very expensive. In the near future the price will come down and new devices are coming to market quickly.
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3 de December de 2020 at 17:05
These may yet save our hash–I don’t know–but I can see a potential downside to them. I don’t know about viruses, but not all bacteria are harmful. Some of them are neutral in relation to our health and others we need. And according to what I’ve read casually–this isn’t anything I’ve gone into at all seriously–our immune systems may well need to develop in the presence of pathogens. Admittedly, no lamp is going to kill all bacteria in the world, but we didn’t evolve to live without bacteria and may find ourselves in some new form of hot water if we cleanse our living spaces of them all.
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4 de December de 2020 at 13:35
Of course it is impossible to disinfect the whole world. These lights will only disinfect places where disease is being spread between people, such as in public spaces. Imagine if these lights were used in Woohan in the market where the animals were infected? The pandemic would have never happened and millions of lives would have been saved! The beneficial bacterias are mostly inside our digestive systems and would not be effected. What kills them are antibiotics that are given too freely when people are infected. These lights would lesson the need for antibiotics! More than 2700 people died in the US on December 3rd and if these lights were in use most of these deaths could have been prevented! I think that outweighs any concern for the lights killing beneficial bacteria!
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4 de December de 2020 at 16:03
You’re right–there are only so many places they can be used, giving us a bacterial reservoir. I do worry, though, about the human tendency to overdo anything. Antibacterial soap for decades before the pandemic. Antibacterial wipes, ditto. The illusion that we could–and should–live germ-free lives.
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5 de December de 2020 at 12:43
I don’t see any harm in overdoing these lights unless you listen to Trump and think they can be inserted into your body to get rid of covid!
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5 de December de 2020 at 13:32
He gets high marks for improbability, but I think I’ll pass on that offer, thanks.
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8 de December de 2020 at 18:12
The word is spreading. Restraints are installing these lights as I type this: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/12/07/2140782/0/en/Alexandria-Restaurant-Partners-ARP-Installs-Groundbreaking-Far-UVC-Light-Technology-to-Inactivate-Harmful-Pathogens-Viruses.html
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14 de December de 2020 at 11:48
Restaurants!
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