Dear Dr. Marc Siegel
marc@doctorsiegel.com
Dr. Elisa Ribelles-Medhus,
M.D., a physician in Houston, brought to my attention a suggestion for
sterilizing the air and surfaces in public places. There are companies that
manufacture Far UVC sterilization solutions that KILL 99.9% of all pathogens,
including COVID-19.
Examples of this inexpensive technology:
1) Far UVC lighting
portals that can be installed in a variety of entryways
2) Far UVC
lightbulbs that can be retrofitted into recessed light fixture to sterilize all
surfaces and the ambient air
3) Far UVC
units that can be installed in the ceiling AC vents.
The above are available RIGHT NOW and the
installation is quick and easy. Most important, we can open up establishments
once they are retrofitted with far UVC lighting and eventually open up the
entire U.S. and world. They can be rented on an as-needed basis
(when there are influenza and other epidemics, MRSA and other outbreaks in
hospitals and nursing homes, and of course, pandemics like this one.)
***In fact, I think it would be a
mistake to permanently retrofit all the lighting in every establishment because
we do need bacteria and other pathogens in our life and as part of our bodies.
It would be a mistake to sterilize every building, etc.
Far UVC (wavelength 207-222 nm) is harmless to
humans, because the rays can't penetrate cells, meaning they can't cause
cancer, cataracts, etc. Check out the research:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-21058-w
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/ultraviolet-light-fight-spread-coronavirus/story?id=70170111
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200414173251.htm
THE PLAN:
I propose this sweeping yet cost-effective
infrastructure change, in some cases permanent and in others, temporary:
1) Some
(but not all) establishments should remove their current lighting and replace
it with Far UVC lighting.
2) These
establishments could include (but not limited to) airports/jetways, subway
trains and stations, hospitals/OR suites, food production facilities,
airplanes, cruise ships, and more.
3) If and
when an outbreak of a pathogen occurs, far UVC portals or temporary far UVC
lighting can be rented and installed in vulnerable places that are densely
populated such as nursing homes, schools, churches, movie theaters, retail and
commercial businesses, warehouses, homes of those who are infected and possibly
commercial vehicles such as police cars, ambulances, etc.
4) The
government could encourage installation by offering tax credits for companies
who retrofit lighting with far UVC lighting.
And because Far UVC lighting constantly works
at killing ALL pathogens, it would be an investment in the future, preventing
other pandemics and epidemics like our seasonal flu, outbreaks of drug
resistant bacteria like MRSA (methicillin resistant staph aureus,) TB and C.
Diff.
THE RESULT:
1) Less
vulnerability to bioterrorism
2) Fewer
medical costs for patients with infectious diseases including hospitalizations,
ER visits, antibiotic treatment, etc.
3) Reduction
of employee sick days, and therefore an increase in productivity
4) Less
vulnerability to multi-drug resistance.
5) Overall
improvement in morbidity and mortality from infectious diseases
Here's a link to one such company: https://healthelighting.com/ Their
products page: https://healthelighting.com/pages/products
There are many other companies like this
one! Neither Dr.Ribelles nor I have a financial affiliation with
any far UVC technology companies.
PLEASE consider this approach because it's one
that will get us all back to work.
Thanks for all you do,
YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION HERE