ABSTRACT
Direct contact and aerial dissemination are the main transmission mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2. A direct approach to limiting airborne viral transmissions is to inactivate them within a short period of time after their production is ultraviolet C (UVC) light. In this sense, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using ultraviolet light in the sterilization of aerosols contaminated by SARS-CoV-2. For the study, all patients who were admitted to the COVID ward with positive swab results were analyzed. The patient chosen for the study had a positive result and had had 8 days of symptoms. Measurements of contamination from aerosol deposition on the CT table were performed in triplicate, using sterile swabs with viral transport medium. The patient was kept alone inside this room for 30 minutes, producing aerosols so that air contamination could occur. Afterwards, measurements were performed using exposure to ultraviolet C light, collected at 0, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60, 120 and 180 minutes, after the patient had left the tomography room. This sequence of measurements was carried out in 6 days, the first day being without exposure to UVC light and 5 days with exposure to UVC light. After data collection, swab analysis was performed for the results using the RT-PCR method. The results found for collections from time 0 to 180 minutes were negative for the 6 days of study. The patient's swab results were positive from the first to the last day of the study. Thus, the effectiveness of using ultraviolet light as a form of decontamination is concluded, along with the antimicrobial action of the disinfectant, as the absence of the live virus highlights the importance of hygiene care to prevent the recurrence of contamination after cleaning.