UV lights reduce respiratory infections in aged care, Aussie researchers find
The technology is not very expensive and easy to install, says Dr Andrew Shoubridge (PhD).
Germicidal UV lights in communal areas of aged care homes reduce acute respiratory infection rates over time, an Australian study published in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests.
The study involved four Australian aged care facilities — three metropolitan and one rural — with a combined 380 beds.
Across eight matched zones, germicidal UV lights were turned on and off across six weeks, with two-week washout periods.
The devices sat in common areas where residents and staff interacted, such as entrance halls, corridors, dining areas and lift lobbies, said the researchers, from the SA Health and Medical Research Institute in Adelaide.
