• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

US govt reveals details of sunlight study on virus

by The Online Citizen
29/04/2020
in Current Affairs, Health, International
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0

by Issam Ahmed

The US Department of Homeland Security revealed to AFP on Tuesday new technical details regarding its highly anticipated study into how ultraviolet radiation destroys the new coronavirus, saying that its experiment had accurately mimicked natural sunlight.
A summary of the research was presented last week at the White House, with some scientists calling for caution until a more comprehensive report was made public.
US President Donald Trump raised eyebrows last week when he used his daily live national press briefing to ask whether light could become a medical treatment.
“Supposing we hit the body with a tremendous — whether it’s ultraviolet or just very powerful light,” he said. “Supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way.”
Trump continued on to suggest that people inject disinfectants to cure the virus, an idea that health experts quickly shot down.
DHS official William Bryan had briefed the media that the amount of virus on a non-porous surface shrunk by half in just two minutes when sunlight was present, the temperature was 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit (21-24 Celsius) and humidity was 80 percent.
The amount of virus suspended in air shrunk to half its amount in just 1.5 minutes at room temperature and 20 percent humidity, he added.
These eye-catching results surprised experts because most of the UV light contained in natural sunlight belongs to a subtype called UVA, which causes human skin to tan and age but has not generally been proven harmful to viruses,  David Brenner, director of the Center for Radiological Research at Columbia University Medical Center, told AFP.
On the other hand, a part of the spectrum called UVC is particularly adept at warping the genetic material of animal and virus cells and is widely used in sterilizing lamps, but it is not present in sunlight because it is filtered out by the Earth’s atmosphere.
Asked for further details on the type of UV light that was used, Lloyd Hough, a DHS scientist overseeing the test, said: “The spectrum of light that was used was designed to approximate natural sunlight that you would expect to see at noon at sea level at a mid-latitude location (e.g., mid-Atlantic, 40 degrees N) on the first day of summer.
“More specifically, it approximates the wavelengths of light predicted by the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s (NCAR) Tropospheric Ultraviolet and Visible (TUV) Radiation Model for noon at 40 degrees N latitude at sea level on June 21st in range of 280 and 400 nanometer wavelengths.”
The wavelengths specified pertain only to long- and medium-wave ultraviolet, also known as UVA and UVB — the UV components of sunlight that penetrate the atmosphere — and not UVC.

Paper coming soon

A DHS spokesman added that the test — which was conducted at the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center in Maryland — was carried out on droplets of simulated saliva on a stainless steel surface.
Brenner, who is himself performing research into another area of the UV spectrum called far-UVC, which kills microbes without penetrating human skin, said the DHS findings did not comport with previous research.
“There is a peer-reviewed paper in the literature from the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) showing the earlier SARS-CoV virus did not respond to UVA light (though it did respond to UVC light),” he said, adding it is “reasonable to assume that all coronaviruses respond roughly the same way to light.”
The results as presented were “straining credulity,” he added.
But a DHS spokesman said that study would soon be submitted for peer review and published in scientific journals.
“While the results are still undergoing a rigorous scientific review, we felt it important to share information on the emerging trends that are being identified in our tests,” the spokesman said.
– AFP

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.
Tags: AFPCOVID-19

Related Posts

US tells vaccinated people in high COVID risk areas to mask again
AFP

White House says US COVID emergency status to end 11 May

31/01/2023
WHO panel in talks on COVID emergency status
AFP

WHO panel in talks on COVID emergency status

27/01/2023
Zero-COVID left in dust as Chinese revellers fuel travel boom
AFP

Zero-COVID left in dust as Chinese revellers fuel travel boom

19/01/2023
China ends quarantine for overseas travellers after years of self-imposed isolation
AFP

China back to ‘normal’ after end of COVID curbs: official

17/01/2023
UK health firm estimates 9,000 COVID deaths in China per day but Chinese govt says only 10 since 7 Dec
AFP

‘Not necessary’ to dwell on COVID death tally, Chinese experts say

11/01/2023
South Korea imposes restrictions on travellers from China over COVID surge
AFP

China scraps visa-free transit for South Koreans and Japanese over COVID curbs

11/01/2023
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

Myanmar junta prepares for poll, raising fears of more bloodshed

Myanmar marks coup anniversary with eyes on junta election plan

01/02/2023
No update on Karl Liew’s criminal hearing for providing false evidence against Parti Liyani

No update on Karl Liew’s criminal hearing for providing false evidence against Parti Liyani

01/02/2023
Record jobs growth in 2022, but no breakdown of the foreign and local workers in the workforce and jobs growth

Record jobs growth in 2022, but no breakdown of the foreign and local workers in the workforce and jobs growth

01/02/2023
Temasek and GIC reportedly in talks with Adani Group accused of “brazen” market manipulation and accounting fraud

Market ignores Adani’s 413-paged rebuttal against Hindenburg’s allegation and continues the sell-off

01/02/2023
Driver dies after vehicle fell into sea at Keppel Terminal

Driver dies after vehicle fell into sea at Keppel Terminal

01/02/2023
One pilot dead after Vietnamese military fighter jet crash

One pilot dead after Vietnamese military fighter jet crash

31/01/2023
Japan and NATO pledge ‘firm’ response to China, Russia threats

Japan and NATO pledge ‘firm’ response to China, Russia threats

31/01/2023
Japanese junior high school sprinter breaks another record in prefectural race

Japanese junior high school sprinter breaks another record in prefectural race

31/01/2023

Trending posts

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

by Yee Loon
30/01/2023
19

...

Two Indian nationals paid about S$330 and S$730 respectively for forged certificates submitted in their S-Pass application

MOM found issuing EPs meant for foreign PMETs to PRC waitress and general worker

by Correspondent
26/01/2023
41

...

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

by Yee Loon
26/01/2023
24

...

Indian rupee falls 60% since signing of CECA while Singapore becomes top investor in India

by Correspondent
25/01/2023
66

...

Temasek and GIC reportedly in talks with Adani Group accused of “brazen” market manipulation and accounting fraud

Temasek and GIC reportedly in talks with Adani Group accused of “brazen” market manipulation and accounting fraud

by The Online Citizen
26/01/2023
58

...

Ho Ching breaks silence over Temasek’s write down of its US$275 million investment in FTX, says it “can afford to be contrarian”

US regulator questions VCs’ due diligence work prior to investing in FTX; Ho Ching says Temasek can afford to be contrarian

by The Online Citizen
24/01/2023
28

...

April 2020
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
27282930  
« Mar   May »

The Online Citizen is a regional online publication based in Taiwan and formerly Singapore’s longest-running independent online media platform.

Navigation

  • Editorial
  • Commentaries
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Community

Support

  • Contact Us
  • Letter submission
  • Membership subscription

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Fact Checking Policy
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

wpDiscuz