Clinical Application of Ultraviolet C Inactivation of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in Contaminated Hospital Environments
To overcome the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, transmission routes, such as healthcare worker infection, must be effectively prevented. Ultraviolet C (UVC) (254 nm) has recently been demonstrated to prevent environmental contamination by infected patients; however, studies on...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/12/2367 |
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| author | Wen-Lin Su Chih-Pei Lin Hui-Ching Huang Yao-Kuang Wu Mei-Chen Yang Sheg-Kang Chiu Ming-Yieh Peng Ming-Chin Chan You-Chen Chao |
| author_facet | Wen-Lin Su Chih-Pei Lin Hui-Ching Huang Yao-Kuang Wu Mei-Chen Yang Sheg-Kang Chiu Ming-Yieh Peng Ming-Chin Chan You-Chen Chao |
| author_sort | Wen-Lin Su |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | To overcome the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, transmission routes, such as healthcare worker infection, must be effectively prevented. Ultraviolet C (UVC) (254 nm) has recently been demonstrated to prevent environmental contamination by infected patients; however, studies on its application in contaminated hospital settings are limited. Herein, we explored the clinical application of UVC and determined its optimal dose. Environmental samples (<i>n</i> = 267) collected in 2021 were analyzed by a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and subjected to UVC irradiation for different durations (minutes). We found that washbasins had a high contamination rate (45.5%). SARS-CoV-2 was inactivated after 15 min (estimated dose: 126 mJ/cm<sup>2</sup>) of UVC irradiation, and the contamination decreased from 41.7% before irradiation to 16.7%, 8.3%, and 0% after 5, 10, and 15 min of irradiation, respectively (<i>p</i> = 0.005). However, SARS-CoV-2 was still detected in washbasins after irradiation for 20 min but not after 30 min (252 mJ/cm<sup>2</sup>). Thus, 15 min of 254-nm UVC irradiation was effective in cleaning plastic, steel, and wood surfaces in the isolation ward. For silicon items, such as washbasins, 30 min was suggested; however, further studies using hospital environmental samples are needed to confirm the effective UVC inactivation of SARS-CoV-2. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:55:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dfd7787a1eaf487db2bd034760a9ebd6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:55:34Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-dfd7787a1eaf487db2bd034760a9ebd62023-11-23T10:56:55ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152021-11-011312236710.3390/v13122367Clinical Application of Ultraviolet C Inactivation of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in Contaminated Hospital EnvironmentsWen-Lin Su0Chih-Pei Lin1Hui-Ching Huang2Yao-Kuang Wu3Mei-Chen Yang4Sheg-Kang Chiu5Ming-Yieh Peng6Ming-Chin Chan7You-Chen Chao8Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei 23142, TaiwanSchool of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 970, TaiwanDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei 23142, TaiwanDivision of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei 23142, TaiwanDivision of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei 23142, TaiwanSchool of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 970, TaiwanDivision of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei 23142, TaiwanInfection Control Center, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei 23142, TaiwanSchool of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 970, TaiwanTo overcome the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, transmission routes, such as healthcare worker infection, must be effectively prevented. Ultraviolet C (UVC) (254 nm) has recently been demonstrated to prevent environmental contamination by infected patients; however, studies on its application in contaminated hospital settings are limited. Herein, we explored the clinical application of UVC and determined its optimal dose. Environmental samples (<i>n</i> = 267) collected in 2021 were analyzed by a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and subjected to UVC irradiation for different durations (minutes). We found that washbasins had a high contamination rate (45.5%). SARS-CoV-2 was inactivated after 15 min (estimated dose: 126 mJ/cm<sup>2</sup>) of UVC irradiation, and the contamination decreased from 41.7% before irradiation to 16.7%, 8.3%, and 0% after 5, 10, and 15 min of irradiation, respectively (<i>p</i> = 0.005). However, SARS-CoV-2 was still detected in washbasins after irradiation for 20 min but not after 30 min (252 mJ/cm<sup>2</sup>). Thus, 15 min of 254-nm UVC irradiation was effective in cleaning plastic, steel, and wood surfaces in the isolation ward. For silicon items, such as washbasins, 30 min was suggested; however, further studies using hospital environmental samples are needed to confirm the effective UVC inactivation of SARS-CoV-2.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/12/2367SARS-CoV-2COVID-19environmental samplingRT-PCR254 nm Ultraviolet C |
| spellingShingle | Wen-Lin Su Chih-Pei Lin Hui-Ching Huang Yao-Kuang Wu Mei-Chen Yang Sheg-Kang Chiu Ming-Yieh Peng Ming-Chin Chan You-Chen Chao Clinical Application of Ultraviolet C Inactivation of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in Contaminated Hospital Environments Viruses SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 environmental sampling RT-PCR 254 nm Ultraviolet C |
| title | Clinical Application of Ultraviolet C Inactivation of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in Contaminated Hospital Environments |
| title_full | Clinical Application of Ultraviolet C Inactivation of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in Contaminated Hospital Environments |
| title_fullStr | Clinical Application of Ultraviolet C Inactivation of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in Contaminated Hospital Environments |
| title_full_unstemmed | Clinical Application of Ultraviolet C Inactivation of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in Contaminated Hospital Environments |
| title_short | Clinical Application of Ultraviolet C Inactivation of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in Contaminated Hospital Environments |
| title_sort | clinical application of ultraviolet c inactivation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in contaminated hospital environments |
| topic | SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 environmental sampling RT-PCR 254 nm Ultraviolet C |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/12/2367 |
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