With a return-on-investment of CHF 290 for every CHF 1 spent during an ordinary winter, savings orders of magnitudes higher during a pandemic, wellbeing enhanced, sick days avoided and even lives saved – the benefits of Far-UVC lamps may be game-changing in the fight against seasonal illnesses and future pandemics. According to a new cost-benefit study by Pour Demain and d-fine, these lamps have the potential to bring significant savings to healthcare systems and businesses alike.
A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Far-UVC Light
Far-UVC – a narrow spectrum of UV light – effectively neutralises airborne pathogens, reducing the risk of disease transmission in indoor spaces. This is particularly important during the colder months, when seasonal illnesses tear through communities as people spend more time indoors.
The cost-benefit analysis performed using the CERN Airborne Model for Indoor Risk Assessment (CAiMIRA) found potential for Far-UVC lamps to lower healthcare costs, boost productivity and enhance wellbeing. The team modelled the impact of installing far-UVC lamps in a range of locations, and across different disease scenarios.
In an ordinary winter with a usual mix of circulating colds and flus:
For restaurants, one franc invested in indoor air quality yields a benefit of up to 290 francs.
In waiting rooms of doctors and hospitals, the benefits-to-cost ratio was CHF 100 ; and in offices, CHF 30.
Far-UVC lamps in a single busy pub can prevent around CHF 600’000 in losses related to health care costs, work absences, and ill health.
These benefits come from improved wellbeing, reduced healthcare costs and (contributing the greatest savings) economic productivity gains from sick days being avoided.
Introducing far-UVC in all restaurants, waiting rooms, and offices in Switzerland could result in CHF 1’400 gains per person and avoid 2.4 sick days per person each year during a normal winter. This equates to a decrease of approx. 40% in health- related absences or 25% in overall work absences. In total, roughly 21 million sick days could be avoided in a regular winter.
In a pandemic
Benefits are magnified in a pandemic scenario, and come primarily from health benefits, through avoided losses in quality-adjusted life-years.
In a single pub, benefits could be as high as CHF 1'400'000 in a COVID-19-like pandemic wave, with a benefits-to-cost ratio for restaurants of 430.
The COVID-19-pandemic highlighted the limitations of non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as masks and disinfectants, due to issues like human error and societal acceptance. Far-UVC technology can offer a more reliable and less intrusive solution for mitigating indoor pathogen transmission. As part of a comprehensive approach, far-UVC effectively complements other public health measures in prevention, detection, and response efforts to disease outbreaks. This study addresses the need to also understand the economic implications of far-UVC installations in indoor settings.
The light is considered safe when used within the exposure limits and in combination with ventilation. Further research is required into this technology, including its long-term safety and implementation. Further research may be required to determine the effects of the light on atmospheric molecules and radical production, and the impact of long-term exposure on the skin.
However, this study highlights that Far-UVC lamps could be a valuable, cost-effective tool for public health which, if paired with adequate ventilation and other disease-prevention tools, could reduce illness, sick days and disease transmission, providing protection for our communities into the future.
Download the teaser and the white paper of the study:
For further information:
For further details on the methodology, assumptions, more in-depth results and context
of the study, a detailed documentation is available upon request.
Laurent Bächler, Program Lead Biosecurity, Pour Demain laurent.baechler@pourdemain.ngo