At present, there is great international interest in using ultraviolet radiation to intervene in the transmission risk of COVID-19, and this interest is growing rapidly as the epidemic spreads around the world every day. Therefore, CIE published a position statement in two CIE publications related to UV-C applications that were recently provided free of charge.
The new CIE position statement summarizes the above two publications and gives the latest insights in this area to explain the most important aspects of using ultraviolet radiation, especially UV-C (100nm to 280nm) to control the spread of this infectious disease .
The main points of the position statement are as follows:
UV-C is extremely useful in disinfecting air and surfaces, or water. However, CIE and WHO caution against using ultraviolet disinfection lamps to disinfect hands or any other skin area unless clinically proven.
UV-C is very dangerous to humans and animals, so it can only be used in compliance with safety regulations or under highly controlled circumstances where safety is the first priority, ensuring that it does not exceed ICNIRP (2004) and IEC / CIE (2006 ) The limits specified in.
UV-C can cause photodegradation of materials. This problem should be considered when materials that are susceptible to corrosion (such as plastics) are exposed to the environment.
There is an urgent need for more research on the safety of new UV-C light sources, especially in terms of the safety threshold for avoiding photokeratitis (corneal “sunburn”, ultraviolet keratitis).
In order to perform proper UV assessment and risk management, proper UV radiation measurement must be performed.
