Thursday, January 20, 2022

Does UV Light Kill Covid?

The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, is the virus that causes COVID-19 and a devastating global pandemic that began in early 2020. As of January 1, 2022, according to the John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center Global Map, there have been 5,442,655 deaths globally and over 825,982 deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the U.S. alone. Public health systems and economies continue to struggle against the changing variants such as the latest omicron variant which is spreading rapidly.

For more than 100 years, ultraviolet (UV) radiation has been used to disinfect and sterilize many environments, and public health officials are realizing that UV light provides an added layer of protection against infection from many viruses and bacteria, including SARS-CoV-2.

Does UV Light Kill Covid?

According to an article published by the American Journal of infection control, regarding the Susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 to UV irradiation, published in August 2020, UV light effectively sterilizes a wide range of microorganisms and is an added tool for use in reaction to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While more research has yet to be completed regarding the exact dosage and exposure time of UVC radiation to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, UVC sterilization systems are proven to eliminate other coronaviruses in the same beta coronavirus family. UVC radiation effectively eliminates the viruses that cause MERS and SARS, other respiratory outbreaks caused by a coronavirus.

A recent article published in Medical Life-Sciences, explains how UVC sterilization systems can be an extra layer of defense against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. UVC sterilization systems can be utilized in many public places including hospitals, restaurants, hotels, airports, universities, public transportation systems and more. 

Exposure to UVC radiation can harm the skin and eyes.  These systems such as UVC robots should be used without direct exposure to human contact and under the advice of a professional with correct UVC disinfection systems properly installed for maximum efficacy and operation.

LightSources is a leading global supplier of UV lamps and lighting solutions including UVC germicidal lamps for air sterilization, surface and water disinfection applications. We offer OEM oriented solutions with custom lamp designs, prototype development, a strict quality policy and quick turnaround time. Contact us to learn more about our UVC germicidal lamp solutions proven in sterilization systems worldwide.


Friday, January 14, 2022

How Phototherapy Helps Eczema


According to the National Eczema Association, eczema refers to a group of skin conditions that cause different symptoms such as itchiness, inflammation, and dry patches of skin. Eczema is quite common with more than 31 million people in the U.S. having some type of eczema. There are seven different types of eczema which include:

  1. Atopic dermatitis

  2. Contact dermatitis

  3. Nummular eczema

  4. Neurodermatitis

  5. Seborrheic dermatitis

  6. Stasis dermatitis

  7. Dyshidrotic eczema

Eczema can appear any time from childhood to adulthood with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. The exact cause of eczema is unknown although we do know that it is not contagious and seems to develop from a combination of environmental triggers and genes.

One common treatment for eczema is light therapy, which can help to reduce symptoms of itchiness and inflammation in children and adults.

What to Expect with Phototherapy for Eczema?

Patients find relief with light therapy for eczema which should be prescribed by your doctor with specialized UV phototherapy lamps. Phototherapy lamps emit either UVA or UVB wavelengths with narrowband UVB proven effective to treat eczema. Phototherapy lamps can be used to treat just certain areas or the entire body where patients would stand in an enclosed area with protective eyewear while being exposed to phototherapy lamps. 

Sometimes a cream or lotion can be applied prior to UV exposure, or medication called psoralen may be used in combination with UVA treatments to provide better results. It may take a month or two of regular visits to see an improvement, although some patients can experience remission and reduce the number of visits. 

Many people with eczema experience flare-ups during fall and winter with less sun exposure. For those patients with improved skin conditions during the summer months, light therapy is more likely to provide positive results.

Phototherapy Lamps for Eczema

Be sure to use high-quality light therapy lamps for any type of phototherapy treatment. LightSources is a leading global supplier of high quality UV lamps found worldwide in a wide range of applications such as medical phototherapy treatment, UVC germicidal applications, and more. We are an ISO 9001:2015 registered company offering OEM oriented solutions with prototype development, quick turnaround time, and custom-designed UV lamp solutions from the top UV lighting engineers in the industry.

LightSources offers a wide selection of high quality UV lamps found in air purification, water sterilization and surface disinfection applications worldwide. We offer custom-designed UVC lamps and phototherapy lamps, providing solutions to OEMs of all sizes. Contact us to learn more about our UV lamp solutions.