To overcome the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, transmission routes, such as healthcare worker infection, must be effectively prevented. Ultraviolet C (UVC) (254 nm) has recently been demonstrated to prevent environmental contamination by infected patients; however, studies on its application in contaminated hospital settings are limited. Herein, we explored the clinical application of UVC and determined its optimal dose. Environmental samples ( n = 267) collected in 2021 were analyzed by a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and subjected to UVC irradiation for different durations (minutes). We found that washbasins had a high contamination rate (45.5%). SARS-CoV-2 was inactivated after 15 min (estimated dose: 126 mJ/cm 2 ) of UVC irradiation, and the contamination decreased from 41.7% before irradiation to 16.7%, 8.3%, and 0% after 5, 10, and 15 min of irradiation, respectively ( p = 0.005). However, SARS-CoV-2 was still detected in washbasins after irradiation for 20 min but not after 30 min (252 mJ/cm 2 ). Thus, 15 min of 254-nm UVC irradiation was effective in cleaning plastic, steel, and wood surfaces in the isolation ward. For silicon items, such as washbasins, 30 min was suggested; however, further studies using hospital environmental samples are needed to confirm the effective UVC inactivation of SARS-CoV-2.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, RT-PCR, environmental sampling, 254 nm Ultraviolet C, 【초록키워드】 coronavirus disease, Coronavirus disease 2019, pandemic, hospital, Infection, healthcare worker, polymerase chain reaction, Contamination, steel, plastic, inactivation, Isolation, inactivated, Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, Transmission routes, Chain Reaction, ultraviolet C, silicon, infected patients, irradiation, optimal dose, minutes, contamination rate, Prevent, effective, analyzed, collected, overcome, demonstrated, prevented, 【제목키워드】 coronavirus 2, Environment, clinical, respiratory, application, Contaminated,