Faatiema Salie, Trust Saidi

Potential of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation for infection prevention and control of SARS-CoV-2 in South Africa

Introduction

Potential of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation for infection prevention and control of sars-cov-2 in south africa. Review ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) for SARS-CoV-2 infection prevention & control in South Africa. Learn how established UVGI resources can combat COVID-19.

Abstract

The response to the challenges arising during the COVID-19 pandemic has seen the rapid implementation of innovative technological solutions which have been built on established knowledge and resources. This has been reflected in infection, prevention and control practices (IPC) to minimise the transmission of the disease. In this article, we review ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) as such a technology. We illustrate the way it has traditionally been used in airborne and surface disinfection strategies, and how it has, more recently, been adapted. UVGI has been widely used as an environmental IPC measure against tuberculosis in South Africa, though challenges have been experienced in the implementation of the technology in public healthcare facilities. This has resulted in the development of a knowledge and infrastructure base. We posit that, given the established UVGI resources in South Africa, the technology may be a viable environmental IPC solution for the COVID-19 period and beyond.

Review

This review article presents a timely and highly relevant exploration of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) as a potential infection prevention and control (IPC) measure against SARS-CoV-2, specifically framed within the South African context. The authors effectively leverage the established history of UVGI, positioning it not merely as a novel solution but as an adaptive technology built upon existing knowledge and resources. The paper's core strength lies in its focus on how past experiences, particularly with tuberculosis control in South Africa, have cultivated a valuable infrastructure and knowledge base that can now be strategically redeployed and adapted to address the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The abstract outlines a comprehensive review of UVGI's traditional applications in airborne and surface disinfection, alongside its more recent adaptations. It highlights South Africa's extensive prior use of UVGI as an environmental IPC measure against tuberculosis, acknowledging both its effectiveness and the implementation challenges encountered in public healthcare facilities. This contextualization is crucial, as it suggests the authors are not merely proposing a theoretical solution but one grounded in practical experience and existing local capacity, making their argument for UVGI's viability as an IPC solution for SARS-CoV-2 particularly compelling. While the abstract effectively establishes the conceptual groundwork and the contextual relevance of UVGI in South Africa, it primarily posits the technology's viability rather than presenting empirical findings. Future research building upon this review would benefit from detailed analyses of the specific adaptations required for SARS-CoV-2, a deeper exploration of cost-effectiveness, and strategies to overcome the previously identified implementation challenges in South African public healthcare facilities. Nevertheless, this article provides a valuable synthesis of existing knowledge and offers a pragmatic, locally informed perspective that can significantly guide public health policy and practice in the region regarding environmental IPC strategies.

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