| Every year, the flu sweeps through Mark's school, | | | | sneezing into a sleeve, staying home when ill, etc.), |
| causing numerous absences among students and | | | | ultraviolet light is an important safeguard. With the |
| staff. As a high school teacher of ten years, Mark | | | | use of UV air purifiers, viral epidemics, such as the flu, |
| has learned to avoid the miserable illness by getting | | | | can be eradicated as ultraviolet light destroys viruses |
| an annual flu shot. But the majority of Americans | | | | and prevents them from replicating. |
| don't bother - mainly due to unconcern. Most people | | | | Influenza, a respiratory infection, is most often |
| believe they are not at risk or consider influenza not | | | | spread when an infected person sneezes or coughs |
| to be a serious illness. However, in the United States, | | | | into the air; these droplets are then breathed in by |
| approximately 36,000 citizens die each year from the | | | | others. UV air purifiers work to clean the air so that it |
| flu and 200,000 more require hospital admission. | | | | is made uncontaminated and safe for breathing. This |
| Experts are frustrated by American apathy toward | | | | outcome is accomplished through the use of |
| combating the spread of influenza. This year, these | | | | ultraviolet light bulbs, which actually destroy |
| experts worked to make more vaccine available to | | | | dangerous pathogens such as the influenza virus. As |
| U.S. citizens than ever before, knowing that the most | | | | air passes through the purifier, the rays from the |
| effective defense against contracting the flu is | | | | ultraviolet germicidal light mutilate the DNA of the |
| through vaccination. Still, these 100 million available | | | | microorganism, essentially causing its death. |
| doses are not enough to immunize the 180 million U.S. | | | | Ultraviolet germicidal light is, in fact, recommended by |
| citizens most at risk: children under the age of five, | | | | the Centers for Disease Control as a way to prevent |
| adults over the age of fifty, women who are | | | | and control contagious diseases. Each year, the |
| pregnant, and people afflicted with chronic conditions, | | | | influenza virus changes and scientists create a |
| such as asthma or diabetes. | | | | vaccination to counteract this change. If a sudden, |
| Due to a shortage of vaccine and general | | | | radical change took place in the virus, a pandemic |
| indifference toward the flu, other prevention | | | | (the occurrence of a disease to which people have |
| methods must be considered to reduce the threat of | | | | slight or no immunity) would occur. Here, ultraviolet |
| influenza. One such measure comes in the form of | | | | light bulbs provide an additional safeguard: they do |
| UV air purifiers. For years, scientists have known that | | | | not discriminate between viruses but naturally kill any |
| the ultraviolet rays in natural sunlight are the main | | | | dangerous microorganisms in their paths. |
| sterilizers of air pollution and have utilized ultraviolet | | | | Since the 1930's, ultraviolet light has been studied as |
| light bulbs in places such as hospitals and homeless | | | | a way to sterilize air, and because influenza is an |
| shelters to sanitize confined air. This manmade | | | | infection which passes from person to person most |
| ultraviolet germicidal light supplies even more intense | | | | often through the air, ultraviolet germicidal light is |
| and more concentrated UV rays than those of | | | | extremely effective against this miserable and |
| natural sunlight. | | | | dangerous illness. Ultraviolet light bulbs most often |
| This preventative measure is especially important | | | | need only be bought once and can add to general |
| during the seasons of autumn and winter when flu | | | | health as ultraviolet light not only kills viruses but also |
| viruses spread rampantly as people are confined to | | | | destroys bacteria, mold spores, allergens, and |
| buildings and packed together in places with reduced | | | | chemical irritants. Influenza is not an illness one can be |
| ventilation. Because not everyone follows the general | | | | apathetic toward, but ultraviolet air purifiers can help |
| guidelines for reducing the spread of disease (washing | | | | combat indifference and add to peace of mind. |
| hands regularly, disinfecting surfaces, coughing | | | | |