Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 25) – Citing a recommendation from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Department of Health warned that the use of ultraviolet light is only suitable for disinfecting healthcare facilities.
“Ang mga devices na gumagamit ng ultraviolet ay angkop sa health care settings. Ibig sabihin ay ginagamit lamang po ito sa loob ng mga ospital and clinics,” said DOH Spokesperson Rosario Vergeire in a virtual press briefing on Thursday.
[Translation: Devices that use ultraviolet are suitable for healthcare settings. This means that these should only be used inside hospitals and clinics.]
She added that there is no evidence yet that UV lights are also effective in disinfecting facilities other than hospitals.
According to WHO, the efficacy of UV lights depends on the “distance from the UV device; irradiation dose, wavelength and exposure time; lamp placement; lamp age; and duration of use.”
“Alinsunod sa rekomendasyon ng WHO, hindi po ito replacement sa manual na paglilinis at pagpupunas at pagtatanggal ng mga contaminants mula sa mga environmental surfaces,” said Vergeire.
[Translation: Based on the recommendation of WHO, this is not a replacement on the manual cleaning and disinfecting of contaminants from environmental surfaces.]
The DOH noted that improper use of UV lights could harm eyes and could also lead to skin irritation and increased risk to skin cancer.
Vergeire advised the public to use alcohol and bleach solution instead per DOH’s guidelines.
