The coronavirus disease (COVID‑19) pandemic has accelerated the search for environmental con‑ trols to contain or mitigate the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑ CoV‑2) responsible for the disease. SARS‑CoV‑2 is usually transmitted from person to person by con‑ tact with large respiratory droplets, either direct‑ ly or by touching virus-contaminated surfaces (also denoted as fomites) and subsequently touching the eyes, nose or mouth. Importantly, there is grow‑ ing evidence of virus transmission via the airborne route as the large respiratory droplets dry out and form droplet nuclei which can remain airborne for several hours. Depending on the nature of the sur‑ face and environmental factors, fomites can remain infectious for several days (van Doremalen, 2020).
The use of germicidal UV radiation (GUV) is an important environmental intervention which can reduce both contact spread and airborne transmis‑ sion of infectious agents (like bacteria and virus‑ es). GUV within the UV–C range (200 nm-280 nm), primarily 254 nm, has been used successfully and safely for over 70 years. However, GUV must be knowledgably applied with appropriate attention to dose and safety. Inappropriate GUV application can present human health and safety issues and pro‑ duce insufficient deactivation of infectious agents. Application in the home is not advisable and GUV should never be used to disinfect the skin, except when clinically justified.

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