THERE IS no scientific evidence yet which proves the effectiveness of ultraviolet (UV) devices sold in the market can kill the virus causing coronavirus disease (Covid-2019), a health official said Thursday.
Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, in a Covid-19 virtual presser, said the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of such devices for disinfection purposes in healthcare settings.
"Ibig sabihin ginagamit lamang po ang mga ito sa loob ng ospital, sa mga clinics at iba pang formal healthcare settings. Sa ngayon, wala pa pong sapat na ebidensiya kung epektibo ito sa labas ng mga ganitong (This means, they're only used in hospitals, clinics and other formal healthcare settings. To date, there's no proof that they're effective other than this kind of) setting," she said.
Emphasizing WHO's recommendation, Vergeire said use of UV devices "cannot replace manual cleaning, wiping or removal of contaminants on environmental surfaces".
She added the amount of UV coming from the device can cause harm to the eyes, skin irritation, skin burns and increased skin cancer risk.
"Hindi po namin ito nirerekomenda sa ngayon, at sa halip mas mainam ang disinfection na gamit ang alcohol or bleach solution ayon sa ating mga guidelines (We don't recommend the use of these devices at the moment, rather disinfection with alcohol or bleach solution following our guidelines is better)," Vergeire said. (By Ma. Teresa Montemayor)
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