Ontario company claims their ultraviolet light system can kill COVID-19

Ont. company selling UV lights to fight COVID-19 Spenergy Certified Solutions says their wireless automated disinfection systems can safely eradicate COVID-19 using UV-C lighting.

TORONTO — A company from Kitchener-Waterloo says that businesses should consider using ultraviolet light to stop the spread of COVID-19, instead of conventional cleaning products.

Spenergy Certified Solutions is a lighting company that has pivoted its business to create UV-C lighting solutions to help businesses battle the virus.

“Wherever the UV-C light touches, wherever the light reflects, you get a 99.9 per cent kill rate,” President Gib Wood told CTV News Toronto.

The company says it has installed five systems in businesses in the Kitchener-Waterloo area including a restaurant and a truck stop bathroom.

Gib claims the wireless automated disinfection systems can safely eradicate COVID-19 using UV-C lighting.

“We think of this as the next generation of sanitation" Gib said.

READ MORE: Can UV light kill the coronavirus? Experts break down online claims

At Montreal’s McGill University Health Centre, researchers have been testing a disinfection robot which emits high intensity ultraviolet light that zaps all bacteria, viruses and other harmful microbes.

The light is so powerful that no one is allowed inside the room when the device on.

“The fact that the coronavirus can live on surfaces for hours to days after the droplets fall on a surface, a plastic or metal surface, you really need effective cleaning, that completely bathes the room,” Dr. Bruce Mazer said.

While it could take a person an hour to clean a room, the robot can do it in about 10 minutes, but has a cost of $120,000.

Alternatively, Spenergy says its lightning systems are stationary and can keep rooms safe for several dollars a day.

“For three dollars a day you can sanitize a room is what it works out to" said Gib.

UV lighting could also be used sanitize subways, classrooms and long term care homes and could be more cost effective to kill viruses than a large cleaning staff.

UV lights should only be used on surfaces and not your skin. You may see products being sold online that claim to kill the virus, but some of them have turned out to be fakes containing blue LED lights.

It should be noted that the World Health Organization (WHO) advises against the use of ultraviolet light to disinfect hands or other areas of your skin. The WHO says that UV radiation can cause skin irritation and damage your eyes.