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Question from Sophia: I’ve been seeing ads for UV phone sanitizers that supposedly will kill any Covid-19 viruses that might be on a phone.
My question is do they really work?
I’ve checked around and these things are fairly expensive.
I’d hate to buy one if it won’t really protect me from the virus. Better safe than sorry, right?
Rick’s answer: I don’t blame you for being cautious about these devices, Sophia.
Like you said, they are indeed fairly expensive so you’re wise to check into their effectiveness before buying one, especially since their failure to work could possibly cost you your life.
Before I begin answering your question I must ask you to read the following important disclaimer:
Disclaimer: The experts consulted in the articles I link to below are actual medical doctors and researchers with established track records in their field.
However, I’m just a simple tech blogger, not a medical expert. Therefore, nothing I say in this post should be taken as medical advice.
If you still have concerns or questions after reading the articles I link to below I recommend that you consult your own doctor for advice.
With the above disclaimer out of the way, I have some good news for you…
According to the medical experts NBC News consulted for this report, UV phone sanitizer devices should be quite effective at killing any viruses that might be present on your phone and any other small items that will fit inside them.
The experts that Live Science contacted when preparing this report agree about the effectiveness of using UV light to kill viruses.
And according to this report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, UV-C light is extremely effective at the various strains of Covid 19 viruses.
I researched this topic extensively and I was unable to find any articles quoting experts who disagree.
According to the info provided in those articles and the numerous other articles I read while researching this post, UV light had already been being used as a disinfectant in various situations long before Covid-19 reared its ugly head.
Just be aware that all the experts agree that exposing UV light to any part of the human body can potentially cause serious injury and/or illness.
That means if you buy one of these devices you should ONLY use it to sanitize your phone and other small inanimate objects by following the instructions included with the device to the letter.
Bottom line: According to medical experts and researchers who have studied this, quality UV-C sanitizers are indeed effective at killing Covid-19 and other viruses.
If you’re looking for a recommendation, I did some checking around on Amazon and this one appears to be one of the best UV-C sanitizers on there based on user reviews. But again, I’m not a doctor so I recommend you take that into account before deciding to purchase one.