As part of their strategy to minimize risk for players and personnel from exposure to SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), the NFL’s Carolina Panthers have deployed two LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots and two LightStrike Disinfection Pods to disinfect team facilities and equipment.
Manufactured by Xenex Disinfection Services, which manufactures ultraviolet (UV) light disinfection for hospitals, LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots use pulsed xenon to create intense bursts of broad spectrum UV light that quickly destroys viruses and bacteria on surfaces. The robots work quickly and require no warm-up or cool-down time, so the Panthers are able to disinfect dozens of rooms per day (per robot). The robots are already in heavy rotation throughout the stadium – being used to disinfect meeting rooms, locker rooms, rehabilitation areas, suites, restrooms, offices, weight rooms, workout areas, and much more. The team is using a LightStrike Disinfection Pod, a lightweight and portable containment unit that harnesses the germ-zapping power of the LightStrike disinfection robot, to quickly disinfect high-touch player equipment such as pads, cleats and helmets in-between practices.
Healthcare facilities have published more than 40 peer-reviewed studies validating the efficacy of the LightStrike robot technology, which is the only UV room disinfection technology proven to deactivate Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19. In third party testing, the LightStrike robot achieved a 99.99% level of disinfection on surfaces against SARS-CoV-2 in two minutes. As a result of the pandemic and the world’s focus on combatting coronavirus and other pathogens, non-healthcare entities such as schools, hotels, airports – and now the NFL’s Carolina Panthers – are utilizing LightStrike robots to quickly disinfect surfaces in their facilities.
“Our goal is to make this the safest facility and stadium that it can possibly be and that’s why we chose Xenex,” said Eddie Levins, director of security and infection control officer for the Carolina Panthers and Bank of America Stadium. “It was clear in our evaluations that Xenex provided the best UV disinfecting solution for us and allowed us to quickly and effectively sanitize our football areas and other areas throughout the stadium. We have worked since March to develop a comprehensive health and safety plan so that everyone would feel safe and comfortable returning to Bank of America Stadium and Xenex has been an important part of those efforts.”
“As the world looks for ways to safely re-open, we are very proud to be part of the Carolina Panthers’ disinfection strategy. Panthers leadership carefully examined the scientific evidence about the robot’s effectiveness, and the speed in which the robot operates, when they evaluated and chose the LightStrike robot as an integral part of their strategy to provide players and personnel with the safest possible environment. The investment the Panthers have made in our disinfection robots validates their dedication to the safety of their players and personnel,” said Irene Hahn, senior vice president of global sales and marketing for Xenex.
