Since the beginning of March, the Coronavirus has been a massive part of our daily lives. The virus caused the world to come to a screeching halt, closing businesses and entertainment venues. The biggest issue has been focused on safety and sanitation.

It doesn’t look like the threat of Covid-19 is going anywhere for a while. This means we have to learn to live our lives around it. We are left trying to come up with the best way to sanitize ourselves and daily objects we come in contact with. Some have brought up the idea of using a UV light for sanitation of PPE, electronics, and surfaces.

While UV light for sterilizing equipment and exam rooms work wonderfully in hospitals, labs, and doctor’s offices, it is not practical in real-world settings. UV light needs to be extremely bright to be sufficient to thoroughly sanitize and remove viruses and bacteria from equipment and exam rooms.

Human tissue can be severely damaged by UV light and even cause extensive injury to softer parts such as the eyes. Hospitals and labs ensure there are no people in the area when UV light is used to sanitize rooms and equipment. For maximum sterilization, UV light should be extremely bright, and if any human being were in the vicinity, it would cause permanent damage and blindness.

Some companies have manufactured mobile UV wands with claims of sterilization if it is waved over objects and surfaces. These claims have not been verified by experts to rid the materials of viruses and bacteria. The best way to clean surfaces is to use age-old cleaners such as bleach, rubbing alcohol, and leaving the UV lights to the experts.