The arrival of COVID-19 vaccines heralds the beginning of a return to normality after an unprecedented year but the fight against the coronavirus is not over. It will continue to be vital to keep surfaces disinfected to prevent the spread of the virus.
Much has been written about how the world will be permanently changed by the pandemic and one of those changes is will undoubtedly be an ongoing commitment to cleanliness with everything from hospitals to hotels and cinemas needing to raise their game when it comes to cleaning.
Human coronaviruses have been found to persist on surfaces such as metal, glass and plastic for up to nine days, so cleaning these properly and regularly is vital – but manual cleaning alone is not enough: in fact, it has been found to reduce contamination by only 36% (Armellino 2020).
This is where UV-C light comes in. UV-C exposure inactivates microbial organisms such as bacteria and viruses by altering the structure and the molecular bonds of their Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). DNA is a “blueprint” these organisms use to develop, function and reproduce. By destroying the organism’s ability to reproduce, it becomes harmless because it cannot colonise. After UV-C exposure, the organism dies off leaving no offspring, and the population of the microorganism diminishes rapidly.
Ultraviolet light has been shown to be capable of destroying viruses, bacteria and fungi in hundreds of laboratory studies (Kowalski 2009) and tests on related coronaviruses, including the SARS coronavirus, have concluded that they are highly susceptible to ultraviolet inactivation.
UV light can quickly reach places that may be missed by conventional cleaning. With some UV disinfection devices, there is a danger that in a room full of objects, some of these will shadow others and stop the light from reaching them. That is why we created the unique elliptical design of our ELIPTIG® S and ELIPTIG® R, which minimises the problem of shadowing.
Not only does ELIPTIG® illuminate at an angle downwards towards the floor; it also disinfects underneath surfaces such as tables, chairs and stretchers/gurneys, meaning it reaches areas that would likely be missed by manual cleaning.
Safe and simple to use, the ELIPTIG® S and ELIPTIG® R can be incorporated into your usual cleaning routine to bring far higher levels of cleanliness, providing superior protection for you and the people who use your spaces