New Fitness Customer Recommends UV-C Technology Purchase to 3 Other Fitness Centers Within 90 days of Installation
The fitness world is an extremely competitive and price-sensitive market that was devastated by the Covid pandemic. The industry is dominated by very large, franchised conglomerates that make it very challenging for the non-franchised operators to effectively compete. Any opportunity to establish a competitive advantage should be diligently investigated. The “3 C’s” – cleanliness, cost, and convenience are of utmost importance to the fitness industry’s customer base when recruiting new and retaining existing members.
The UV BIOCLEAN team’s customer-centric commitment to providing its customers with a premiere and affordable product that is easily installed and monitored provides their customers the opportunity to market themselves with a “competitive advantage” that may facilitate an improved ROI.
The most important factors in this Jiu Jitsu center’s decision-making process of whether to move forward with an investment in UV BIOCLEAN’s premiere, competitively priced UV-C products were the desire to:
- Improve the probability of being able to keep the gym operational in the Covid event, or if any other similar pandemic returns; and
- Fight germs.
Regarding ROI and the impact the UV-C investment has had on the fitness center customer’s ability to retain existing members, they believe it has already had an impact in the short time since installation:
- One member stated that this is the first gym she ever belonged to where she has not gotten athlete’s foot.
- Several members noticed that the facility had a “much better smell”.
Regarding the impact the UV-C investment has had on the fitness center customer’s ability to attract new members:
- While they have not yet seen an impact on new member recruitment, the installation only occurred within the past 3 months so this KPI will continue to be monitored;
- Additionally, they have a very specialized gym offering.
This customer would recommend other fitness facilities evaluate this enhanced sanitation opportunity and has already recommended it to 3 other fitness centers.
Their experience with the UV BIOCLEAN team has been “awesome from start to finish”. Communication and follow-up were superior.
Background
Conventional germicidal UVC light (254 nm wavelength) can be used to disinfect unoccupied spaces such as empty hospital rooms or empty subway cars, but direct exposure to these conventional UV lamps is not possible in occupied public spaces, as this could be a health hazard.
To continuously and safely disinfect occupied indoor areas, researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center have been investigating far-UVC light (222 nm wavelength). Far-UVC light cannot penetrate the tear layer of the eye or the outer dead-cell layer of skin and so it cannot reach or damage living cells in the body.
The researchers had previously shown that far-UVC light can safely kill airborne influenza viruses.
The new paper extends their research to seasonal coronaviruses, which are structurally similar to the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.
Study details
In the study, the researchers used a misting device to aerosolize two common coronaviruses. The aerosols containing coronavirus were then flowed through the air in front of a far-UVC lamp. After exposure to far-UVC light, the researchers tested to see how many of the viruses were still alive.
The researchers found that more than 99.9% of the exposed virus had been killed by a very low exposure to far-UVC light.
Based on their results, the researchers estimate that continuous exposure to far-UVC light at the current regulatory limit would kill 90% of airborne viruses in about 8 minutes, 95% in about 11 minutes, 99% in about 16 minutes, and 99.9% in about 25 minutes.
Using far-UVC light in occupied indoor spaces
The sensitivity of the coronaviruses to far-UVC light suggests that it may be feasible and safe to use overhead far-UVC lamps in occupied indoor public places to markedly reduce the risk of person-to-person transmission of coronaviruses, as well as other viruses such as influenza.
Ongoing studies with SARS-CoV-2
In a separate ongoing study, the researchers are testing the efficacy of far-UVC light against airborne SARS-CoV-2. Preliminary data suggest that far-UVC light is just as effective at killing SARS-CoV-2.
“Far-UVC light doesn’t really discriminate between coronavirus types, so we expected that it would kill SARS-CoV-2 in just the same way,” Brenner says. “Since SARS-CoV-2 is largely spread via droplets and aerosols that are coughed and sneezed into the air, it’s important to have a tool that can safely inactivate the virus while it’s in the air, particularly while people are around.
“Because it’s safe to use in occupied spaces like hospitals, buses, planes, trains, train stations, schools, restaurants, offices, theaters, gyms, and anywhere that people gather indoors, far-UVC light could be used in combination with other measures, like wearing face masks and washing hands, to limit the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses.”