How ultraviolet light could be answer to fighting the flu

The 2017-2018 flu season has been one of the deadliest in recent years.  So far, at least 63 children have died from the flu and there’s no sign of it letting up as the number of deaths and hospitalizations continue to rise amongst people of all ages. 

Many of us are taking strict precautions in preventing the flu by following sage advice given out by health professionals – getting the flu shot, frequent hand washing, keeping well-hydrated, and covering our nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.  But in the near future, there could be a much more effective method of prevention that comes with a flick of a switch.

Scientists have found a powerful new disinfectant that makes “light” work of the virus.  Researchers are testing whether a certain type of ultraviolet light can kill the flu virus in the air.  UV light is already used as a germ fighter, but conventional UV light can penetrate and damage the skin and can also cause cataracts.  A certain type of UV light called far-UVC, however, can’t get past the top layer of the skin or the tear layer of the eyes.  It does double duty of easily killing airborne flu viruses while posing no risk to people.

This new development, even though still in initial experiments that need to be confirmed, could be a game-changer in how we fight the flu. Far-UVC could be implemented in the form of overhead, low level lighting in public locations making it an inexpensive method of eliminating airborne flu viruses in indoor public spaces such as hospitals, schools, doctor’s offices, airports and aircraft.  Besides killing off the flu virus, far-UVC looks to be a safe and efficient method of limiting the transmission and spread of other airborne-mediated microbial diseases, such as tuberculosis.

The use of broad-spectum UVC light to kill viruses and bacteria is already being used to decontaminate surgical equipment.  But this type of lighting can cause skin cancer and cataracts and is not allowed to be used in public places. 

However, far-UVC light has a much narrower spectrum of ultraviolet light making it a safer option. Far-UVC light has the ability to reach and kill the DNA of viruses and bacteria, which are far smaller than human cells, without posing any threat to people. Prior studies have also found far-UVC light to kill the common and dangerous “superbug” methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) bacteria without harming humans. 

Flu experts have been encouraged by the news and recent studies indicating how far-UVC light could revolutionize how we fight the flu.  Every year, the flu vaccines that are developed are a bit of a guessing game as to which flu virus will be the one most prominent. 

The way flu vaccines are designed is to protect against the three or four influenza viruses research indicates are most likely to spread and cause illness among people during the upcoming flu season. Flu viruses are constantly changing, so the vaccine composition is reviewed each year and updated as needed based on which influenza viruses are making people sick, the extent to which those viruses are spreading, and how well the previous season’s vaccine protects against those viruses.

Public safety efforts are made every year starting already in September, reminding people to get their flu shots and wash their hands.  Both are critically important in preventing contraction and transmission of the flu virus but they also have limitations.  Low-dose far-UVC light is not only safe and effective but also has the advantage of inactivating a wide range of disease-causing viruses besides the flu virus. 

The cost of lamps with this type of UV light currently cost less than $1000 but that price would be likely to fall if the lamps were mass-produced, making it an inexpensive way of protecting the population from the serious and potentially deadly influenza virus.  Since it is not cost prohibitive, far-UVC light looks to be a promising way of sterilizing the air in open public spaces, reducing the spread of respiratory droplets containing flu viruses and other bacteria and viruses.  This would be a much welcomed way of stopping influenza in its tracks before it has a chance to cause harm.