Infection control
Using UV-C decontamination technology to fight Covid
Tautvydas Karitonas, head of research and development at Inivos, explains how the decontamination technology company helped a care provider to help mitigate the spread of Covid-19 via ultraviolet-C light technology and why other care homes should follow suit
The Covid pandemic has been a difficult time for many businesses and especially care homes where many residents and staff have both been sadly affected by the virus. Many care homes have taken strict measures to ensure the safety of their residents, including Wessex Care, a leading provider of care in south Wiltshire. Wessex Care is a family run, local care
provider founded in 2001 by Matthew and Pauline Airey. They have six different residential sites: Kimberly East Care Centre, Kimberley West Care Centre, Holmwood House, Milford Manor, Castle View and Little Manor Care Centre and also a community domiciliary care team. Last summer, Wessex Care became
the first residential care provider in the UK to commission innovative ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light technology in the fight against coronavirus. Inivos’ Ultra-V technology is designed
to effectively decontaminate hospitals and care environments of potentially dangerous micro-organisms – including SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19. Effective decontamination is always
paramount, but it has become even more crucial than usual in limiting the spread of SARS-CoV-2 within care settings. This is because while cleaning
professionals work tirelessly to ensure the environment is safe and clean, the inherent flaws in manual cleaning
processes mean that human error is inevitable regardless of diligence. As a result, harmful pathogens are often left behind. Research has shown SARS-CoV-2 can
survive on surfaces for days at a time – with viral particles able to remain for up to seven days on steel and plastic – meaning those who share equipment, bathroom facilities or any other space, are at high risk of exposure to traces of Covid-19. The risk is also heightened because
SARS-CoV-2 is an airborne virus, which means respiratory droplets can linger in the air for prolonged periods of time. To
Wessex Care became the first residential care provider in the UK to commission innovative ultraviolet-C light technology in the fight against coronavirus
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ensure an environment is Covid-secure, it is vital that cleaning processes deactivate airborne pathogens as well as surface microorganisms. Effective decontamination technology
has the power to do this, with UV-C light providing high levels of efficacy, reducing harmful pathogens by 99.999 per cent, also known as 5-log reduction. Already in use in hundreds of hospitals
across the UK, UV-C light technology can reduce viruses and bacteria to safe, non-infective levels in under an hour by breaking down the lipid (fat) outer layer of the organism and destroying the genetic material within. Controlled by a mobile decontamination
robot, the administering of UV-C is remote controlled to ensure operator safety, making it easy to use from other locations as well as providing a validation report at the end of each cycle. As a result, care home managers can be confident that a decontaminated area is safe for residents and staff to occupy.
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com • March 2021
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