How UV-C air disinfection can help protect older Australians from the rain

UV-C solutions offer a highly effective and established measure of disinfection that could go a long way to providing safer environments for older Australians.

Most conversations in Australia are currently centred around the weather and when the rain will ease. Sydney alone has spent 170 days this year drenched. However, with all three oceans around Australia experiencing atmospheric events expected to bring more rain, Australians are being told to prepare for more impact from the weather.

Beyond the flooding and the major disruptions, there’s a hidden factor of the weather that’s just as consequential, and one of the least talked about – disease. A factor that’s especially critical for older members of society.

The weather and disease

Issues around mould, rising damp and infectants associated with wet weather could potentially get worse as Australia is subject to renewed wild weather. Conditions such as heightened rainfall, humidity and flooding have well-document effects on infectious diseases, with prolonged heavy rain increasing the opportunities for diseases to spread. Plus, Australia heads into summer, warmer temperatures may increase the transmission rate of diseases.

Further, research has linked La Niña weather patterns not only to outbreaks of influenza, but also to the development of new, dangerous novel pandemic strains as the changed weather patterns likely bring together birds that don’t typically mix and changes their contact with domestic animals.

Give that the elderly has a greater susceptibility to disease, as was seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, what can be done to not only ease the worries of older Australians, but also their families and care givers worried about spreading disease?

Shining a light on a solution

A very viable option that resurfaced during the pandemic is the use of UV-C light. UV-C solutions offer a highly effective and established measure of disinfection that could go a long way to providing safer environments for older Australians. Through their Philips brand of professional lighting solutions, Signify brings more than 40 years of UV-C experience to contribute to protecting older Australia against the harmful pathogens being spread by the weather. The company has developed a specialised portfolio of UV-C air and surface disinfection products in close collaboration with renowned experts in the field.

But how do they actually work?

UV-C light is a category of ultraviolet light with wavelengths between 100-280 nanometres(nm). It has been utilised for decades as an effective tool in preventing the spread of contagious diseases in applications such as disinfecting water, surfaces, and air in very short time periods.

UV-C light inactivates viruses and microorganisms such as bacteria, moulds, spores, fungi and yeasts by breaking down their DNA or RNA. It has proven highly effective against all pathogens tested to-date, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19.  Further, multiple studies have confirmed that UV-C light is an established measure for disinfection, preventing the spread of other contagious diseases including tuberculosis and influenza. The specific spectrum of light where maximum germicidal action takes place, can artificially be generated through lamp technology, which is not only sustainable, but also more environmentally friendly than several other disinfection means.

The installation of the Philips ‘upper-air’ disinfection units offers an additional defence mechanism against microorganisms in the air. These unobtrusive devices spread UV-C light controlled by the louvre and reflector design in the upper areas of rooms. This allows for quiet and effective disinfection of the air in a space, free from interruption whilst ensuring that day-to-day activities can continue beneath the area where the device is active.

The rollout of UV-C light technology is a safe, effective and efficient way of protecting yourself and your loved ones against the hidden world lurking within the raindrops.

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