“Tripledemic” Season. Experts Recommend Using UV-C Light to Mitigate the Spread of The Respiratory Infections.

The fall and winter respiratory illness season has given rise to the concept of the “tripledemic” – the simultaneous surge of influenza (flu), Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and COVID-19. There is growing concern about the potential strain this could place on the healthcare system and severe implications for public health. However, effective sanitization technology like UV-C light provides promise for mitigating infection transmission in hospitals and homes alike.  

Defining the Unique Threat of The Tripledemic 

The tripledemic refers to an alarming convergence of influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 cases spiking across the United States and globally this year leading into the peak viral season of winter. All three viruses can be very dangerous as they can cause serious illness or hospitalization. This is especially true for babies, the elderly, or those with health problems.  

A key challenge is that influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 share similar symptoms like fever, sore throat, cough, congestion, and fatigue. RSV symptoms can also include wheezing and decreased appetite. All three viruses can progress to more serious lower respiratory tract infections like pneumonia or bronchitis, which can be life-threatening. The overlapping symptoms make it difficult to distinguish the root cause without testing.  

With influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 circulating concurrently, the likelihood of contracting one of these respiratory bugs becomes even higher. The resulting tripledemic combines three aggressive viruses simultaneously targeting vulnerable groups. Preventing transmission and infection takes on amplified importance to avoid overwhelming hospitals struggling to meet surging demand.  

Preventing Viral Spread to Protect High Risk Groups 

To avoid hospitals getting overwhelmed and keep people safe, it’s important to take strong actions during the tripledemic surge. The CDC confirmed a rise in tripledemic-related hospitalization rates, particularly among young children under 5 years old and the elderly over 65 — groups facing the most risk for severe outcomes. All age groups are also experiencing elevated infection rates that restrict workforce participation due to sickness and strain on healthcare staff as they struggle to meet demand.  

The combination of all three viruses presents more cumulative risk than any one individually and makes mitigation methods paramount. Effective solutions must address a key challenge hospitals grapple with -controlling viral transmission from contaminated high- touch surfaces. 

Research Validates UV-C Light Sanitization Against Pathogens  

While chemical interventions often fall short or introduce safety hazards, UV-C light represents wavelengths from 200-280 nm scientifically proven to damage microbial DNA/RNA. This destroys a pathogen’s ability to replicate or otherwise infect hosts. UV-C technology has proven to kill up to 99.9% of viruses, bacteria, mold, and fungi on surfaces. Eco-friendly and researchers have studied it for decades. 

In particular, UV-C demonstrates reliable efficacy against all high profile tripledemic viruses. For example, it is shown that UV-C is effective at inactivating RSV as well as against influenza and coronavirus. Other examples include: 

•Coronavirus, including SARS-CoV-2, can be easily harmed by UV rays. UV-C treatment has been proven effective in reducing the COVID-19 virus on N95 masks, hospital equipment, air filters, and surfaces.  

• UV irradiation is equally impactful for inactivating influenza viruses like H1N1 or H3N2 strains on hard non-porous materials. One study achieved over 96% viral reduction from UV-C treatment of steel plates inoculated with the influenza virus.  

• Multiple investigations confirm UV-C substantially decreases RSV virus counts present on glass, plastics, or external medical device surfaces as short wavelength light physically destroys the viral envelope structure. 

Using UV-C light can effectively eliminate dangerous pathogens causing the tripledemic crisis, as shown by the results above

The Rise of Autonomous UV-C Sanitization 

An extremely encouraging advancement in infection control with UV sanitization systems. These UV systems are not just anecdotal but supported by scientific studies. Ultraviolet (UV) light is known to kill and deactivate many pathogens including the ones cause the tripledemic. For example, it is shown that UV-C is effective at inactivating RSV as well as against influenza and coronavirus. 

The autonomous UV systems can operate individually when set up. Those machines can sanitize an area without a human operator. This is a great benefit for cleaning whole rooms, especially when hospitals are short-staffed and have limited resources. UV sanitization robots can streamline the cleaning process while also maintaining high levels of efficiency and efficacy.  

Fixtures specially engineered to optimize UV-C distribution guarantee sufficient exposure to kill pathogens missed by traditional cleaning alone. Using these systems is important to stop the spread of the dangerous triple threat virus that is affecting people. 

UV-C Sanitization Systems: Solutions for Everyday High- Touch Devices and Items 

While whole room sanitization systems help with destroying pathogens in healthcare environments, what about the ones that linger on the high-touch devices we carry with us everywhere?

The most cutting-edge UV sanitizers apply high intensity UV-C through mercury and LEDs to provide lab-validated germicidal capabilities for high-touch devices and items using very little energy for affordable, eco-friendly operation. Both the CleanSlate Vital and ElectroClave from Seal Shield are purpose-built to eradicate up to 99.99% of infectious viruses and bacteria on objects placed inside. Common bacteria in medical facilities like C. diff, Bacteriophage MS2, MRSA, VRE, Streptococcus pyogenes, E-coli, Covid. H1N1, Sars-Cov-2 etc can be eliminated with >99.99% effectiveness.  

CleanSlate UV Sanitization System 

The CleanSlate UV Sanitization System solves the problem of cleaning high-touch items like smartphones, TV remote controls, smart watches, RFID badges, glasses, and more. The CleanSlate is recommend for use in more public facing areas due to its simple and effective sanitization cycles; and the fact that it uses mercury bulbs for UV-C cleaning. Some features of the CleanSlate UV Sanitization System include:  

• 20 second sanitization cycle 
• Eliminates >99% of pathogens 
• UV-C light using mercury bulbs 
• Plug and play installation 
• Holds 2 – 4 smartphones, 1 iPad, or 6 Com devices 

The ElectroClave UV Sanitization System 

The ElectroClave UV Sanitization System offers larger bays that accommodate sanitizing larger items like laptops, medical equipment and other devices. It uses UV-C LED light and is ideal for areas in hospitals where devices need to be sanitized regularly and are organization-owned. The ElectroClave is also a recommended option for sanitizing multiple devices at once while simultaneously charging them. The ElectroClave is 99.9% effective against: Staphylococcus, Escherichia coli, MRSA and CRE on hard, non-porous surfaces.

Some features of the ElectroClave UV sanitization includes:  

• 60 second sanitization cycle  
• Eliminates 99% of pathogens 
• Full 360 contactless cleaning 
• Secure Storage, Managed Access, Charging, Provision 
• Holds 4 Ipads or 12 Com Devices 

Check out the “Harnessing The Power of UV-C Light” blog to learn more about the CleanSlate and ElectroClave devices. 

As the most accessible supplemental infection control measure available, consistent UV-C sanitization protocols in public spaces can contribute significantly to the defense against the tripledemic.

Take Action Against the Tripledemic Threat  

As the viral tripledemic threatens the coming winter season, effective sanitization tools like UV-C light systems are recommended as one of our best supplemental lines of defense against the spread of illnesses. Portable UV-C solutions from Seal Shield provide reliable and convenient sanitization for daily items where hygiene matters most.  

Explore Seal Shield’s UV-C sanitizers and full range of innovative infection control solutions by visiting our product page. With consistent use of UV-C light technology and vigilant hygiene habits, individuals and families can proactively contribute to reducing seasonal viral transmission risks.