[melaniejs (OP)]

James has an idea:

Could UVC lamps be installed in the ICU wards to kill air borne and settled virions to help protect staff?

I imagine it would be a rather cheap precaution, and beyond rather tanned looking corpses, if effective I can’t really see a down side? The medics will be covered head to toe to protect them, so maybe some sort of trial would be appropriate.

Anyone have any comments on this one?

[Bored chemist]

UV light is already used to reduce the  number of pathogens present in hospital rooms, but it can't penetrate a sheet, or reach into shadows.

[chris]

@Bored chemist is spot on; UV lamps are already used in certain circumstances to sterilise environments like cell culture laboratories, water treatment and some infection isolation units. However, the most energetic sterilising UV wavelengths (UVC) are effective over only short distances, meaning that the effectiveness of this approach is a bit limited.

[XDRAGON]

You can get air purifiers with UV lights inside them, which expose the air to UV light as it passes through the device. I don't know how effective they are though.

[set fair]

I read that UV lights are to be used in the nightingale hospitals to sterilise the air in wards. I don't know how effective they would be nor whether they are concerned about killing the virus or bacteria.

[Edwina Lee]

I have bought hybrid UVC + ozone disinfecting eqiupment. 
[1] a disinfecting box  for shoes, money, clothing, face masks;
[2] a hospital grade disinfecting air circulator -  uses UVC to disinfect air sucked  through the machine, but it can also emit ozone into the air, which requires people to get out of the room.

UVC kills viruses, bacteria, & mould by disrupting their DNA/RNA sequences. Effective against infected air, & surfaces.
Ozone kills by oxydising them. As ozone penetrates all spaces in the room, it is more thorough.

[Edwina Lee]

UVC robots! 
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51914722