Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals around the country are using up-to-date technology to help keep their facilities virus-free and safe for their patients and residents. At Knoxville Hospital & Clinics (KHC), that extra layer of protection comes in the form of UV lights.

The use of UV lights began back in March through a partnership with the Knoxville Fire and Rescue allowing the KHC Emergency Department staff to take their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as hazmat suits and respirators, to the fire department to be disinfected using the city’s UV lights. 

At the beginning of June, the Emergency Department began using their first two UV lights. Each light contains two bulbs and is capable of disinfecting a 300 square foot room. Two additional larger units, each containing eight bulbs and capable of cleaning 1,200 square feet, have been ordered.

UV lights are a relatively new weapon against infections and are an added step in the disinfection process to help protect against unwanted germs. In the process, vertical tubes flood a space with ultraviolet light disrupting the RNA and DNA at a cellular level of viruses, bacteria, and fungi, which in turn inhibits their ability to multiply.