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Is it possible to kill the H1N1 virus?

Dr Anuj Sharma
World Health Organization,
Country Office for India,
New Delhi

Q: Is it possible to kill H1N1 virus by passing it through ultraviolet (UV) chamber or air filter, which is having a UV filter?

A:Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light for 30 minutes can kill influenza viruses, however UV light has poor penetration and is used mainly in clean areas for surface disinfection, like bio-safety cabinets in laboratories.

Filters can theoretically mechanically filter out viruses, provided their pore size can trap the viruses. However, these filters do kill the viruses and get choked with particulate matter necessitating frequent replacement.