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What is Coronavirus and how you can protect yourself

Articles HEALTHCARE
04.02.2020
What is Coronavirus and how you can protect yourself - Light Progress
CDC / Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAM

After the new Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was identified in December 2019 in  WuhanCity, alarmism has now spread in many countries around the world. It is not difficult to meet people wearing masks hoping to protect themselves and trying to avoid the risk of infection.
The Italian Ministry of Health has published 19 points to explain what the Coronavirus is and how to fight against some psychological terrorism hat has been spreading in recent days. On salute.gov, you can find a portal that offers all updates on the virus and the level of propagation, and a free toll number 1500 for reports and requests for information.
 

SARS, MERS AND NEW CORONAVIRUS 2019-ncov

Coronavirus is part of the family of "zoonotic" viruses, i.e. illnesses easily transmitted from animals to humans, ranging from flu-like mild diseases to fatal respiratory diseases.
We have all been exposed to some type of Coronavirus in our lives, but some strains are more dangerous  than others. Coronavirus Wuhan 2019-nCoV, like its viral "cousins" SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome), has the potential for a widespread epidemic.
 
While the first death outside China was recorded this morning in Hong Kong, further cases of infection have now been confirmed internationally. The situation is being monitored globally: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the US “public health watchdog”, is monitoring events and allowing citizens to monitor the spread of the new Coronavirus on US territory.

Like all Coronaviruses, in addition to transmission from contact with infected animals, a person-to-person transmission has been observed. Transmission occurs through contact with an infected person, his or her secretions but unfortunately also through "healthy" carrier of the virus, i.e. people who are not symptomatic and who can transmit it. The absence of symptoms makes it difficult to accurately isolate potential carriers and identify the ease with which the virus is transmitted.

The observation of macroscopic elements, therefore, is not enough to avoid contagion; first of all, effective prevention actions are needed and include everyone, from citizens to those who manage clinical facilities.
 

CORONAVIRUS SYMPTOMS

Coronavirus symptoms generally occurs 14 days after exposure and may vary depending on age and health conditions of the infected person. The most common symptoms include breathing difficulties, fever and coughing. The most severe cases have symptoms that include pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death.

The measures recommended by the World Health Organization are far removed from the "psychosis" that is developing around the spread of the virus, and simply include avoiding or postponing travel to China, especially to Hubei Province, paying attention to hand hygiene and avoiding food products of unsafe origin.

Despite this recent outbreak, all these precautions should always be taken into high consideration, especially in health care environments such as hospitals, clinics, waiting rooms, outpatient clinics, etc., both to avoid contamination of patients and to increase the safety of operators who are the most exposed to the virus by coming into close contact with all possible risks.


 

CORONAVIRUS: TREATMENT AND PREVENTION

When you want to protect yourself, your healthcare team and your patients from the transmission of new viral outbreaks, it is imperative to strengthen the correct infection prevention techniques with proven technology to drastically eliminate the transmission rate with maximum efficiency.

UV C has always been proven to eliminate pathogens in the air, on surfaces in the environment, working in synergy with normal cleaning and sanitation procedures.

UV-C disinfection technology has been proven to effectively reduce Coronavirus contamination in clinical environments. In a study published in the "Southern African Journal of Infectuous Diseases" (2016), a reduction of Coronavirus MERS was demonstrated after a UV-C disinfection cycle of only 5 minutes.
 

Discover our solutions for your safety

All healthcare facilities should adapt with UV disinfection systems to allow rapid disinfection of environments such as waiting rooms, emergency rooms and other potentially contaminated spaces, especially but not only if the suspicion is to be at risk of receiving a patient who has contracted Coronavirus Wuhan 2019-nCoV.

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F.A.Q.

Ultraviolet rays are electromagnetic waves which are part of light. Electromagnetic waves are divided into three main wavelength bands, expressed in nanometers, nm: Ultraviolet rays (UV) 100-400 nm Visible rays (light) 400-700 nm Infrared rays (IR) 700-800,000 nm UV rays are in turn identified in three bands:

  • UV-A (315-400 nm) with tanning properties;
  • UV-B (280-315 nm) con proprietà terapeutiche e di sintesi della vitamina "D";
  • UV-C (100-280 nm) with germicidal properties.

UV-C rays (100-280 nm) have a strong germicidal effect and reach their maximum efficacy at the 265 nm wavelength. The germicidal effect of UV-C radiation covers bacteria, viruses, spores, fungi, moulds and mites; this is mainly due to the destructive effect of the UV-C rays on their DNA, which damage their reproductive system and prevent them from replicating.

Bacteria, Viruses, Spores, Fungi, Mould, and Mites are all sensitive to, and can therefore be eliminated with, UV-C light. Mircrobes cannot acquire resistance to UV-C light, unlike that which occurs using chemical disinfectants and antibiotics. UV rays are ecological. Polluting the environment is inevitable using normal disinfectants. Directly inhaling the vapours, or swallowing food products contaminated by any contact with said chemical disinfectants, can also give rise to a number of serious risks. In cases where chemical disinfectants cannot be eliminated (food, pharmaceutical, healthcare industries, etc.), using ultraviolet rays for disinfection allows a reduction in their use, with considerable economic savings and greater care for the environment, while maintaining and almost always improving the level of disinfection. UV-C light devices can be installed in environments and on machinery and be programmed to maintain the same level of disinfection day and night, guaranteeing ideal hygiene conditions, without highs and lows. On the contrary, chemical disinfectants are effective only during their actual use. Using LIGHT PROGRESS equipped luminaires, operating costs are negligible; it could be said that “LIGHT PROGRESS” UV-C systems do not require maintenance except for the normal replacement of the lamps. The cost/benefit ratio is considered excellent; the devices are both powerful and long-lasting. Hence the elimination of germs using UV-C technology is low-cost and highly effective compared to (or in combination with) other systems.

UV-C really does work when applied correctly and with the necessary precautions. The difference between a quality project and an unsuccessful application is in-depth knowledge and experience gained over time. Since 1987, Light Progress has been carrying out successful projects all over the world and has acquired a clientele of major companies in all sectors that require verified hygienic conditions to produce quality products and services.