3 REASONS TO USE UVGI TECHNOLOGY FOR THE PREVENTION OF COLD AND FLU THIS MONSOON

Monsoon: The Season for Falling Sick

Cold, flu, throat infection, viral fever and what not; a number of airborne diseases tag along with monsoons. Do you know why? As refreshing as it may feel, the onset of the rains brings with it several diseases and infections that can endanger the health of you and your employees. In comparison to other seasons, the monsoon increases your risk of being exposed to multiple viruses, germs, and other illnesses two times. Due to the high moisture content in the air and relatively warm temperatures,, harmful germs can thrive, resulting in the transmission of a number of diseases. They are mostly mild and can cause minor infections to senior citizens and children due to a weak or developing immune system. But you can help reduce or stop the spread of germs throughout your commercial space by using UVGI technology in your HVAC systems.

Tips to Avoid Flu at the Workplace:

1. Encourage all employees to get a seasonal flu vaccine each fall. CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older get an annual flu vaccine.
2. Provide workers with up-to-date information on flu risk factors and preventive actions.
3. Germs can spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. On average, you come into contact with 300 surfaces every 30 minutes, exposing you to 840,000 germs. According to the World Health Organization, handwashing is one of the most effective actions you can take to reduce the spread of pathogens and prevent infections, including the COVID-19 virus.
4. Increasing the consumption of Vitamin C either in natural form or as a food supplement will help you get rid of the cold virus faster. Vitamin C will activate your antibodies and decrease the severity of a cold. Increased intake of hot drinks like hot water, tea, vegetable soup, etc. , will keep you from catching a cold and will guard against infections.
5. Using UVGI technology to disinfect frequently touched surfaces and spaces that are potentially contaminated with harmful bacteria and viruses example restrooms, doorhandles, canteens, etc.

Does UVGI technology help in the prevention of colds or flu?

During flu season, many individuals have been trying to protect themselves by washing their hands, consuming vitamin C, and even wearing protective face masks, but if you are on a crowded subway or in a waiting room full of coughing people, there is usually little you can do to protect yourself from an airborne virus. Researchers have invented a variation of UV light that is safe for humans and can be used to inactivate viruses and bacteria in the air, according to a recent Scientific Reports study. Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation systems are gaining popularity due to their ability to kill harmful drug-resistant bacteria such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or tuberculosis, as well as inactivate viruses, including newer viruses such as COVID-19. A recent study from the Center for Radiological Research at Columbia University shows that continuous low doses of a specific type of UV light known as “ultraviolet C” (far-UVC) light can kill airborne flu viruses without harming human tissues. UV technology has been around for decades and has been shown to minimize infection and decrease viral, bacterial, and fungal counts. According to EPA, if properly designed, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) cleaners that use ultraviolet radiation from UV lamps may destroy indoor biological pollutants such as viruses, bacteria, and some molds that are growing on the moist interiors of HVAC surfaces (e.g., cooling coils, drain pans, or ductwork).
UVGI technology offers an innovative, inexpensive way to eliminate airborne viruses in public places such as hospitals, doctors’ offices, schools, airports, and aircraft. Scientists have known for decades that in order to kill bacteria and viruses, broad-spectrum germicidal UV light with wavelengths between 200 and 400 nanometers (nm) is highly effective by destroying the molecular bonds that hold their DNA together.

3 Reasons to Use UVGI Technology:

1. UVGI Technology Inactivates Viruses Without the Use of Harmful Chemicals

Chemicals not only have dangerous effects on the people using them but also at times have to be left so long on surfaces during remediation; they could damage certain materials. UVC disinfection has a short turn-around time (less than 30 min) and does not leave any chemical residues behind after disinfection. UV technology can destroy pathogens without these negative effects. UV technology produces electromagnetic energy that kills and destroys the DNA and RNA of microorganisms – preventing their ability to reproduce and causing cell death.

2. Safety Throughout the Remediation Process
UV technology can be an easy way to begin killing bacteria and viruses, and also to help kill mold spores in the air and prevent further spreading of the mold. UV technology can thus be a regular part of your routine to continuously remove bacteria and mold spores that have become exposed or that might have migrated into the air. In order to reduce the risks associated with UV exposure, good engineering design, appropriate processes, automatic controls, and common sense can all be helpful.

3. Everywhere the Light Touches, Ultraviolet Light Disinfects
Think about a sidewalk and the shaded places where bacteria grow; this is because of the sunlight’s inability to reach certain spots and kill germs. Ultraviolet technology brings this same power of sunshine indoors, allowing you to destroy bacteria and viruses wherever the light touches, but not just on the surfaces of a room. UVGI can kill bacteria and molds in the air and on surfaces.

How Does UVGI Technology Work with HVAC Systems?

If germs are re-circulating through your commercial space, you run the risk of being constantly sick, weakening your immune system. Infected air spreads germs from one room to another as it moves through an HVAC system. But Ultraviolet (UVC) light, a natural component of sunlight, destroys bacteria and viruses, by disrupting their DNA and leaving them harmless. UVGI lamps in the HVAC industry typically use low-pressure mercury discharge to produce UV-C light of 253.7 nm wavelength. UV-C is used in air disinfection over UV-A or UV-B because it is 1,000 times more effective at deactivating viruses. By installing UVGI technology in your HVAC system, you can prevent the amount of germs that get re-circulated through your commercial space, keeping your staff and customers healthier during this high Flu season.

Alfaa UVGI Solutions to Fight Seasonal Flu

Alfaa UV’s UltraCoil and UltraDuct UVGI systems can also be installed in the ducts of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and to eliminate the small airborne particles containing microorganisms as the air flows through the ducts. Often, UVGI systems in ducts also direct UV light at the cooling coils and drain pans of air conditioning systems. Irradiating the cooling coils and drain pans can dramatically reduce mold and bacteria growth on the often-wet surfaces of cooling coils and drain pans, or destroy the microbial films that previously accumulated on the irradiated surfaces. Much of the research on the health benefits of UVGI has been performed in health care settings such as hospitals, including tuberculosis wards in hospitals. Other study sites have included barracks, schools, offices, and homes.
Click on the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wym12UHX1Fk to see UVGI in Asia’s largest HVAC installation is helping to fight COVID-19 in the healthcare sector. The UltraCoil & UltraDuct UVGI system not only fights viruses to create safer spaces but also ensures cleaner cooling coils, resulting in greater efficiency and lower running and maintenance costs. You may contact us on 9833516650 / 8879336026 or contact us here.