Good Time to Invest in a UVGI Air Purifier for Your Commercial Space as COVID Cases Rising Again

Posted on July 29, 2022 Good Time to Invest in a UVGI Air Purifier for Your Commercial Space as COVID Cases Rising Again

India has been witnessing an uptick in the COVID-19 cases over the last few weeks. As of 27th July 2022, there were 1,45,026 active cases in the country.

An article published in Nature journal states that the COVID-19 is here to stay and virus will continue to circulate and change. It might not be possible to predict the virus’s pattern and hence, countries must be ready to adapt it. A team of biologists explains that SARS-CoV-2 is very successful in finding new people to infect and people can be infected with coronavirus even after vaccination. Hence, coronavirus transmission is not expected to end.

In the wake of this scenario, it is imperative that commercial spaces such as offices, malls, retail shops, hotels, and restaurants strictly adhere to COVID-19 protocols to protect their stakeholders and prevent the spread of coronavirus. Apart from precautionary measures such as masking, social distancing, sanitization, and hand hygiene, it is recommended that commercial spaces also invest in a good air purification system as an added measure. Air purifiers are the readily available solution for this.

The Need for Air Purifiers

Indoor air in commercial spaces contains pathogens, bacteria, viruses, mold, and other harmful microorganisms. It can be detrimental to the health of employees and visitors as it can adversely affect their lungs and immune system. It can cause coughing, eye irritation, breathing troubles, headaches, asthma flare-ups, and allergy symptoms

Moreover, there have been consistent and strong pieces of evidence that SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, spreads by airborne transmission. Commercial establishments are prime coronavirus hotspots as they are usually enclosed spaces with little or no ventilation. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that infected aerosols can remain suspended in the air or travel further than conversational distance when ventilation is poor.

Image Courtesy

An air purifier sucks in the outside air and filters it by neutralizing pollutants and harmful particles. It then pushes it out as fresh and clean air in the indoor space. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that when used properly, air purifiers can reduce airborne contaminants including viruses in confined spaces.

Air Purifier Technology

There are four primary types of air purifier technologies:

Activated Carbon Filter
Ionizer
High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filter
Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI)

UVGI is a proven and effective technique widely used in the disinfection of surface, water, and air for several decades. Dr Bryan Stone, MD, Internal Medicine and Nephrology, Chief of Medicine Emeritus for Desert Regional Medical Center says, “It’s time to look more seriously at UV-C light air purification to help protect against airborne pathogens such as COVID-19, influenza, and pneumonia.”

UVGI uses UV-C light in 254 nm wavelength to damage the DNA and RNA genetic material of viruses. It inactivates them, thereby preventing their ability to reproduce or multiply. Several studies have shown that UVC air disinfection can kill more than 99.9% of coronavirus present in airborne droplets.

Image Courtesy

UVGI air purifiers can also be integrated into an HVAC system to destroy viruses, bacteria, fungi, mold, mildew and other harmful microorganisms, making it easy for people to breathe safer. UVGI air purifiers can also improve airflow by decreasing built-up contaminants in the HVAC system.

The UVGI technology offers maximum benefits, especially when it comes to combating airborne transmission like coronavirus. For example, an activated carbon filter can’t remove harmful airborne particulates and it is not a standalone solution – it needs to be used with ionic, HEPA, or UV technology. Ionizer grabs and withholds small particles and pathogens but UVGI is a step further and destroys them to prevent their circulation in air. Though HEPA filters are very effective, they only collect active viruses instead of killing them. Moreover, they need frequent maintenance and replacement. On the contrary, UVGI inactivates the virus immediately and is a very economical technology.

Alfaa UV Solutions for UV Disinfection of Air

With more than 20 years of experience in UV technology, Alfaa UV is a reputed name in the industry. It offers the latest, innovative UVGI solutions for surfaces, upper air, and HVAC applications to reduce the risk of infections.

You can consider the following Alfaa UV products to disinfect the air in your commercial space and combat coronavirus:

1. ULTRACOIL: It is useful for deep cleaning of HVAC coils. It has a unique Parabolic Reflector System that proactively removes the bio-films to prevent air contamination and drain pans.

2. ULTRADUCT: It is useful for single-pass disinfection of airborne bacteria and viruses. Installed in supply or return ducts, it also enhances the lifespan of HEPA filters in HVAC systems.

3. STERO-360 UV Sterilizer: This is a UV-based surface sanitizer to fight coronavirus. It is compact and portable and kills more than 99.99% of bacteria and viruses.