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Can a document disinfection cabinet kill the coronavirus?
Release date:
2022-01-20
Can a document disinfection cabinet kill the coronavirus? This is a question on many people’s minds, especially after recent reports from Beijing of person-to-person transmission via COVID‑19–contaminated international mail—such as cases in which confirmed Beijing patients had received parcels from Canada, with Omicron detected in samples taken from those packages. Additionally, Beijing’s Shunyi CDC found positive nucleic acid results on the inner pages of documents from a batch of international mail that had been handled by a company at the Hanggang Building in Nanfaxin Town, which was also in contact with a positive case in Haidian District.
All of the above incidents clearly demonstrate that imported documents and mail carry a risk of harboring the novel coronavirus upon entry. So how should we respond? Many people turn to document disinfection cabinets—also known as book or archive disinfection cabinets—which are specifically designed to disinfect and sterilize paper-based items such as books, documents, archives, letters, and medical records. Unlike household dish‑and‑utensil disinfection cabinets, document disinfection cabinets offer two disinfection modes: ozone disinfection and ultraviolet disinfection. But can these cabinets really inactivate the coronavirus?
The answer is yes, but only under ultraviolet disinfection mode. Although no experiments have been conducted to demonstrate the efficacy of document sterilization cabinets in inactivating SARS‑CoV‑2, we can still find ample evidence supporting this claim:
For example, the authoritative document “Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (Trial Version 8)” explicitly states that coronaviruses are sensitive to ultraviolet light and heat; they can be effectively inactivated by exposure to 56°C for 30 minutes, as well as by ether, 75% ethanol, chlorine‑containing disinfectants, peracetic acid, and chloroform—agents that dissolve lipids. From this, we can see that coronaviruses are susceptible to both UV radiation and heat; maintaining a temperature of 56°C and exposing them to UV light for 30 minutes is sufficient to inactivate the virus.
Numerous online sources indicate that ultraviolet disinfection primarily relies on two key emission lines: 253.7 nm and 185 nm. Both wavelengths are highly effective at inactivating microorganisms; the former directly targets the genetic material of biological cells—DNA and RNA—causing strand breaks and rendering it nonfunctional. All coronaviruses, including the novel coronavirus, are single-stranded positive-sense RNA viruses. Exposure to UVC radiation disrupts the virus’s replication cycle, thereby effectively curbing its further spread. The latter wavelength, meanwhile, reacts with atmospheric oxygen to generate ozone—a powerful oxidizing agent—that can kill bacteria and viruses. Fono Technology’s document sterilization cabinets employ both of these short‑wave UV wavelengths to disinfect and sterilize paper documents. Beyond documents, they deliver excellent germicidal performance on archives, hospital medical records, laboratory test reports, receipts, banknotes, and more.
For inquiries regarding disinfection cabinets, please contact Funo Technology at 18368188833 (same number on WeChat).
Document disinfection cabinet, coronavirus
Phone:+86 183-6818-8833
Phone:+86 158-5710-4888
+86 183-6818-8833
+86 158-5710-4888