NYC subway will clean some cars for coronavirus with UV

Let there be light. Virus killing light.

On Sunday, the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) announced that it would be using UVC light to disinfect some subway trains overnight, the New York Daily Newsreports.

"Next week will begin piloting UV cleaning on subway cars and buses," Sarah E. Feinberg, the interim president of the New York City Transit Authority, said in a virtual press conference Monday. "We’re looking to see if UVs are more efficient and less expensive."

There is ongoing research into whether UVC light is an effective coronavirus disinfectant. And while scientists haven't found definitive proof of its efficacy, the scientific community thinks it's highly likely that it does, considering it kills similar viruses like SARS.

NYC authorities explain the role of UVC cleaning on subway cars. Credit: screenshot: rachel kraus / mashable / mta

The MTA previously announced that starting May 6, it would be closing the subways from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. in order to clean cars, a big change for the famously 24-hour system. It's using bleach and other chemical sprays for cleaning.

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The ultraviolet light scheme comes out of a partnership with Columbia University researchers, who previously found that UVC light kills airborne diseases.

They are currently conducting research into how UVC affects coronavirus, and will be monitoring the MTA's use of the lights to see if the program is worth expanding. At this point, the Daily Newsreports the UVC lights will be used on a "fraction" of subway cars at two MTA depots, and at one bus terminal.

"We are testing and piloting these things on an aggressive time frame," Patrick Foye, the MTA's chairman and CEO, said.

UVC light works as a disinfectant by disrupting virus DNA, which prevents it from multiplying and spreading. It's currently used as one way of cleaning smartphones.

UPDATE: May 4, 2020, 3:18 p.m. EDT This article was updated to include information from the MTA's Monday press briefing.