Ultraviolet radiation vs air filtration to mitigate virus laden aerosol in an occupied clinical room

Abstract

Mitigation measures against infectious aerosols are desperately needed. We aimed to: 1) compare germicidal ultraviolet radiation (GUV) at 254 nm (254-GUVUpper-Room) and 222 nm (222-GUVWhole-Room) with portable high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to inactivate/remove airborne bacteriophage ϕX174, 2) measure the effect of air mixing on the effectiveness of 254-GUVUpper-Room, and 3) determine the relative susceptibility of ϕX174, SARS-CoV-2, and Influenza A(H3N2) to GUV (254 nm, 222 nm). A nebulizer generated ϕX174 laden aerosols in an occupied clinical room (sealed-low flow). Mitigation devices (3 commercial GUV devices, HEPA-470m3/hr-class H13 filter) were compared by counterbalanc..