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| - Fact Check: Can UV rays from sunlight kill coronavirus?
We can conclude that a concentrated form of UVC ray might kill Covid-19 but this is not advisable by any researcher and WHO as exposure to this UV ray is harmful to human skin cells.
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India Today Fact Check
A concentrated form of UVC might kill Covid-19 but it is extremely harmful for human skin. Sunlight cannot kill Covid-19.
In the absence of a Covid-19 vaccine, internet is full of theories on how to combat the deadly novel coronavirus. Many social media users have claimed that ultraviolet (UV) rays in sunlight or UV sanitisers can kill the novel coronavirus.
In fact, several netizens have advised people on Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp to stand under the sun to get rid of the deadly virus.
Facebook users such as 'Ray Evans' and 'Darli Thiri Aung' have claimed that UV rays can kill novel coronavirus. The archived versions of the posts can be seen here and here.
India Today Anti-Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found the claim to be misleading. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and other researchers, exposure to UV rays is harmful for the human body.
The claim is viral on Twitter as well as Facebook.
What does WHO say about UV rays?
In an answer to the question "Can an ultraviolet disinfection lamp kill the new coronavirus?", WHO replied on its website (https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters) as well as on its Facebook page that "UV lamps should not be used to sterilise hands or other areas of skin as UV radiation can cause skin irritation".
Can UV light kill coronavirus?
Many people wanted to know whether UV rays have the potential to kill novel coronavirus. We found the answer in a "BBC Future" article, published with the headline, "Can you kill coronavirus with UV light?"
As per this article, "There's only one type of UV that can reliably inactivate Covid-19 - and it's extremely dangerous". "You would literally be frying people," the article quotes Dan Arnold, who works for UV Light Technology, a company that provides disinfecting equipment in the UK.
Among the three types of UV rays, the third type which is UVC, might have the potential to kill novel coronavirus. According to this BBC article, though there hasn't been any research into how UVC affects Covid-19 specifically, "studies have shown that it can be used against other coronaviruses, such as Sars."
Therefore, a concentrated form of UVC is now on the frontline in the fight against Covid-19. But there is a major caveat, as Arnold says, "UVC is really nasty stuff - you shouldn't be exposed to it."
The same opinion came from another expert. In an interview to "AFP Fact Check", Dr Pokrath Hansasuta, assistant professor of virology at department of microbiology, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, said, "Ultraviolet is able to kill Covid-19 if it is exposed to the concentrated UV ray in a certain amount of time and distance. However, that level of UV exposure is harmful to human skin."
What about the sunshine solution?
Sunlight is often considered a natural disinfectant. But according to the "BBC Future" article, on sunlight's effect on Covid-19, "no one knows how long it takes to deactivate Covid-19 with sunlight, or what strength is needed." The amount of UV in sunlight varies depending on the time of day, weather, season, and where in the world you live - especially which latitude - "so this wouldn't be a reliable way to kill the virus".
Dr Hansasuta also opined to "AFP Fact Check" that natural UV from the sun is not strong enough to kill novel coronavirus. Therefore, we can conclude that a concentrated form of UVC ray might kill Covid-19 but this is not advisable by any researcher and WHO as exposure to this UV ray is harmful to human skin cells.
India Today Fact Check is part of IFCN Alliance on Covid-19
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