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LAKEWOOD, Colo. (KDVR) — A Colorado company is offering a different kind of way to disinfect surfaces and spaces amid growing concerns over COVID-19.

Co-founders Brian Stern and Webb Lawrence operate their business called Puro Lighting out of Lakewood. Puro says it offers a UV lighting technology designed to kill 99.9 percent of bacteria and viruses.

“Our lights will run for about a 30-minute period and during that time produce a significant amount of UV to kill any type of bacteria and virus or most fungal strains within a space,” Stern said.

Stern says they’ve received calls from people all over the world in the past week as the new coronavirus continues to spread. He says they have not tested the technology on any coronavirus because of restrictions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

State Epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy says research on other coronaviruses has suggested that the current virus can live on surfaces for several days. Stern says based on research, they believe the UV technology could effectively kill COVID-19 on surfaces but it is not designed for human use.

“In fact, our system will not turn on if a person is in the space,” said Stern.

The World Health Organization also warns against using UV technology on skin, saying UV radiation can cause skin irritation.

Stern says they’ve installed systems in hospitals, sports facilities, office spaces and even homes. Some devices are small and portable while others cover a larger area.

Katie Cary, Assistant Vice President for Infection Prevention with HealthONE says UV disinfection is used in some of their hospitals but not all. She says there is some “decent data” on it but should not replace cleaning first.