After finding a glaring contradiction between the most recent theoretical and experimental findings, a team of scientists is calling for further research into how sunlight inactivates SARS-CoV-2.
The virus was inactivated eight times faster in experiments than the most recent theoretical model expected, according to UC Santa Barbara mechanical engineer Paolo Luzzatto-Fegiz and colleagues.
“The theory suggests that inactivation happens when UVB hits the virus’s RNA, destroying it,” Luzzatto-Fegiz explained.
However, the difference means there’s something more going on, and finding out what it is might help with virus management.
UV light, or the ultraviolet part of the spectrum, is readily absorbed by certain nucleic acid bases in DNA and RNA, allowing them to bind in difficult-to-repair ways.
“UVC is great for hospitals. But in other environments – for instance, kitchens or subways – UVC would interact with the particulates to produce harmful ozone,” said co-author and Oregon State University toxicologist Julie McMurry.
