WASHINGTON — Viewer Buddy D asked us: “Does UV light kill coronavirus?”
THE QUESTION
Can ultraviolet disinfection lamps kill COVID-19?
THE ANSWER
The World Health Organization says false. Exposing yourself to UV light lamps is not a safe or effective way to kill the coronavirus.
WHAT WE FOUND
Columbia University Irving Medical Center says say broad-spectrum germicidal UV Light can kill bacteria and viruses. In fact, it’s often used to decontaminate airplanes and hospitals. But, it’s done with robots or without human exposure. That’s because our experts say contact with UV-A and UV-B light is dangerous. UV-A and UV-B light can cause skin cancer and cataracts.
Does sunlight kill coronavirus? There are a lot of tweets that say it will.
THE ANSWER
No. Christopher Tidey, a spokesman for UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund says the answer is no adding, "this is, of course, not true.”
Sunlight has not been proven to kill the coronavirus.
In addition, neither the World Health Organization nor the Centers for Disease Control list sunlight as a method for preventing the coronavirus.