I had planned on writing about a different subject this month, but XENON’s management asked me to set aside our usual blog and write about the new coronavirus, which causes the potentially deadly disease known as COVID-19.
According to the World Health Organization, the disease is now threatening to become a global pandemic. I won’t go into the dangers and spread of the virus here. There’s plenty of news about it everywhere you look.
Instead, I want to talk about a possible role for Pulsed Light in fighting the virus.
First, to be clear: It’s not yet known whether XENON Pulsed Light can kill or deactivate this coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). But here’s what we do know: Pulsed Light has been proven to be effective against other coronaviruses, including SARS (SARS-CoV) and MERS (MERS-CoV). There is every reason to believe that Pulsed Light will be effective against this coronavirus as well.
We also know that Pulsed Light is safe: the FDA has approved its use for sterilization and nutrition enhancement in food processing. And, we know the technology is chemical-free and easy to deploy. So, the critical question is: Can Pulsed Light kill or deactivate this coronavirus? We urgently need to find out. Because if so, it could play an important role in protecting our populations and saving countless lives around the world.
We think there are many possible applications for Pulsed Light in the fight against the coronavirus. For example, it could be used to create sanitization chambers that help isolate treatment areas; to sterilize packages and baggage at ports of entry; to sterilize clothes and gear used in treatment; and to deploy in temporary facilities such as tents and converted buildings that otherwise would have little protection. There may be many other applications. We need to identify them now, while there is still time to respond.
Scientists and researchers who want to explore the possibility are invited to contact XENON by calling 978-737-7836 or emailing LAPanico@xenoncorp.com. We also welcome inquiries from government agencies responsible for public safety.
Even if this current virus is contained and a global disaster avoided, we should consider it a wakeup call. The overall threat of a pandemic won’t go away. As a modern, mobile society, we must be on high alert at all times. We must use whatever tools we have to protect our populations, and our public safety infrastructure needs to have the highest level of defenses possible.
Pulsed Light can play an important role in this effort. Whether you are on the frontlines fighting the coronavirus, or working in a laboratory researching ways to protect the population against infectious diseases, XENON wants to hear from you. Let’s work together to save lives.