Close X
Saturday, November 23, 2024
ADVT 
Health & Fitness

Health Canada regulates UV, ozone-emitting devices

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 08 Jun, 2021 03:01 PM
  • Health Canada regulates UV, ozone-emitting devices

Health Minister Patty Hajdu says most companies selling UV wands and lights promising to kill viruses will now have to apply to have their products approved by Health Canada and stop claiming they can destroy COVID-19.

Hajdu' signed an interim order Monday that will regulate the devices for the first time.

 "To date, Health Canada has not yet received sufficient evidence to demonstrate that they can be used safely or that they work as claimed," said a explanatory note released Tuesday when the order was publicized.

 UV light is well-known to kill anything that has DNA or RNA, including human cells, viruses, fungi and bacteria. It has been used in hospitals and commercial ventilation systems for years but products for consumer use are more recent.

 Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the marketplace exploded with consumer devices claiming to kill viruses with UV light or ozone, prompting safety warnings from Health Canada and other international health bodies, including the World Health Organization.

 Health Canada said one retail site alone — which it didn't name — had more than 2,000 cellphone sanitizers and another 500 devices using UV light to clean toys.

 The devices have been linked to severe eye injuries, including burns to the cornea in the United States. Health Canada hasn't said if any injury reports have been made in Canada. The devices can also cause serious burns to skin and skin cancer without proper safety in place.

 Manufacturers are being given 30 days to apply to have their products authorized under the Pest Control Products Act or take them off the market. They will have to meet certain standards to be approved, and submit data that shows the device is safe and effective.

 

"

MORE Health & Fitness ARTICLES

High-Fat Diet Not Good In Pregnancy

High-Fat Diet Not Good In Pregnancy
A study has found that high-fat diet and obesity during pregnancy compromise the blood-forming stem cell system in the liver of the developing baby responsible for creating and sustaining lifelong blood and immune system function.

High-Fat Diet Not Good In Pregnancy

20 Minutes Of Weight Training Reduces Belly Fat

20 Minutes Of Weight Training Reduces Belly Fat
Just 20 minutes of weight training daily can reduce abdominal fat that a lot of men tend to gain as they age, research has suggested...

20 Minutes Of Weight Training Reduces Belly Fat

Women who drink face greater suicide risk

Women who drink face greater suicide risk
Alcohol use increases suicide risk among women, especially those who have symptoms of insomnia such as sleep disturbance and daytime tiredness, shows research....

Women who drink face greater suicide risk

Less exercise led to fragile bones

Less exercise led to fragile bones
Lack of physical activity has resulted in fragile bones among modern races compared to early human species, researchers have found....

Less exercise led to fragile bones

e-readers not good for sleep

e-readers not good for sleep
It would be a better idea to read paper books before sleeping as use of e-readers can adversely impact overall health, alertness and body clock that synchronises the daily rhythm of sleep, say researchers....

e-readers not good for sleep

Age doesn't diminish ability to take financial decisions

Age doesn't diminish ability to take financial decisions
Getting old does not spell doom when it comes to taking key financial decisions, says a team of researchers led by the University of California (UC), Riverside....

Age doesn't diminish ability to take financial decisions