Doctor using high-tech system to clean his Lexington office

A Kentucky doctor is using a high-tech system to help keep his office clean and sanitized.

The anti-microbial system is already used in factories where food is processed. Now, one Lexington doctor believes it could reduce the spread of COVID-19, making the places where we congregate safer.

Dr. Daniel Mongiardo tells us his office has basically been shut down. They are now only seeing emergency patients. He told us Monday they saw three people, on a normal day they see 30.

So, he has been looking for a solution to keep his office safe and he believes a system that's already used to decontaminate areas, where food is prepared, could be expanded.

That system from the company Puradigm creates ionized hydrogen peroxide. He tells us those ionized particles spread through an area and will destroy viruses and bacteria. It can be installed as a separate unit, or put in a building's AC system.

Their office has one in the waiting room and they plan to put more in each of their exam rooms. He believes going forward, as the public looks for ways to return to something close to normal, these systems could help places like restaurants, groceries, and schools continually decontaminate areas, making them safer.

"We know that it kills encapsulated viruses like H1N1 at 99.55%," Dr. Mongiardo said. "And the corona or COVID-19 virus is an encapsulated virus so we are sure that it will also kill the COVID-19 virus."

Dr. Mongiardo says another benefit to those systems is they would also help reduce the spread of the flu, strep and the common cold.

He says the system in his office costs around $1,500. He says he's looking at ways to get them cheaper for other doctors' offices.