UV light kills viruses. Why isn’t it everywhere?

When you think of disinfecting a space, what comes to mind? Wipes? Gels? Sprays? Maybe air purifiers or effective HVAC systems? All of these are great defenses against viruses and bacteria, but one thing has been missing from the toolkit despite our knowing about it for over a century: light.

Ultraviolet light is an incredibly powerful disinfectant. Study after study has proven that it can obliterate viruses and bacteria, and yet it’s not often thought about as a defense against germs. In fact, when most people think of UV, they think of the harmful rays from the sun that cause cancer — not the PR you want when advertising, obviously. Luckily, a few years after the pandemic lockdowns, researchers have found a type of UV that isn’t strong enough to penetrate human skin but still effectively stops the germs. Could it be our next defense? Check out the video above to learn more.

Don’t forget to read the full article by Dylan Matthews, and if you want more information on UV light as a defense against disease, subscribe to Unexplainable, Vox’s science podcast about unanswered questions. They’re working on a related piece that goes deeper into some of the pieces we cover in the video. It’ll be out Wednesday, February 20.