In a landmark study, researchers found that UV light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can quickly and effectively kill the human coronavirus. If they are effective against SARS-CoV-2, this technology could be an inexpensive way to disinfect surfaces, ventilation systems, and water systems.

Because of the urgent need to find effective disinfection methods for SARS-CoV-2, researchers from Tel Aviv University in Israel — in collaboration with the University of Haifa, Oranim Academic College, and Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer — set out to investigate whether or not irradiation using UV LED would inactivate human coronaviruses.

They recently published their results in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology.
“We discovered that it is quite simple to kill the coronavirus using LED bulbs that radiate [UV] light.”

— Prof. Hadas Mamane