# UV sanitizers and coronavirus
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uv-sanitizers-and-coronavirus/849952
**Category:** The Quarantine Zone
**Tags:** covid-quarantine
**Created:** [March 21, 2020, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uv-sanitizers-and-coronavirus/849952 "2020-03-21T12:35:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2020, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uv-sanitizers-and-coronavirus/849952/1 "2020-03-21T12:35:42Z")
I’m seeing a whole bunch of ads for “UV sanitizers” and claims that they eliminate bacteria and viruses safely. I say bullshit. Are they bullshit?
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2020, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uv-sanitizers-and-coronavirus/849952/2 "2020-03-21T13:16:35Z")
I checked a few of these ads yesterday, for a similar Q now in the plague forum.
The units themselves looked like weak BS to me.
Coronavirus is tough. I never did find an authoritative source on how much short wave UV it takes to denture it.
Plus of course, hands and parts of hands, cast shadows.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2020, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uv-sanitizers-and-coronavirus/849952/3 "2020-03-21T14:58:56Z")
[Moderating]
Off to Quarantine.
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2020, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uv-sanitizers-and-coronavirus/849952/4 "2020-03-21T15:21:32Z")
Denature, not denture. Auto-correct snuck in there on me.
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### Author:  [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2020, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uv-sanitizers-and-coronavirus/849952/5 "2020-03-21T19:03:22Z")
Also ozone generators do kill viruses, though not healthy to breath.
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### Author:  [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2020, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uv-sanitizers-and-coronavirus/849952/6 "2020-03-21T19:50:46Z")
UV sanitizers are common for backpacking to sanitize water by “killing” viruses, bacteria, or protozoans. They do work, but it [looks like it might take as long as 40 minutes for coronaviruses](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17002634/).
This does not imply that 1) these particular products being advertised works and 2) putting UV on your hands is probably not a good idea in the long term.