Engineering Students in Khon Kaen, northeastern Thailand, have built an Ultra Violent "sanitiser" tunnel to protect themselves from coronavirus, amid misleading claims that UV light kills COVID-19.

According to local reports, they developed the machine to put at the entrances of supermarkets and other public spaces.

Footage from Friday (March 20) shows the DIY tunnel, which is made up of a metal structure covered with sheets used in greenhouses and has three UV bulbs inside.

The principal Samroeng Suksaway claimed that the initial test showed positive results for killing a virus and said they had already received two domestic orders for the machine.

A report was published on March 2 by Komchadluek, a Thai newspaper, titled “7 evil things that virus COVID-19 is afraid of," has been shared tens of thousands of times.

The article misleadingly advises that Ultra Violent, chlorine and high temperatures can kill COVID-19.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also stated here that UV should not be used as a disinfectant for the coronavirus. “UV lamps should not be used to sterilize hands or other areas of skin as UV radiation can cause skin irritation,” the agency said.

There has been no confirmed vaccine that cures the disease.

Students have made an Ultra Violent sanitiser tunnel to use in the battle against Covid-19.

Engineering pupils in Khon Kaen, northeastern Thailand, developed the machine to put at the entrances of supermarkets and other public spaces amid claims that UV light kills a coronavirus.

The tunnel is made up from a metal structure covered with the same kind of sheets used in the greenhouses and has three Ultra Violet bulbs inside.

According to medical experts in the U.S., the UV light could be effective in destroying the virus but the World Health Organisation cautions against the method as ''UV radiation can cause skin irritation''.

Vineet Menachery, a virologist from the University of Texas Medical Branch, said in the Washington Post that heat and ultraviolet light are two ways to neutralise a coronavirus, and each of these methods works in a different way.

Ultra Violet light ''disrupts the genetic material'' of the coronavirus, according to the article.

Footage from last Friday (20/03) shows the school committee and the provincial governor walk through the tunnel to test its efficiency.

The principal Samroeng Suksaway claimed that the initial test showed positive results for killing a virus. He said they had already received two domestic orders for the machines.

He said: "The Ultra Violet bulbs we used are industrial grade that are use in factories to produce drinking water.

"The radiation emitted is quite high and concentrated, so the user should not spend much time in the tunnel, only three to 10 seconds should be sufficient as any longer than that would be harmful."

The teacher added that the tunnel would be installed at a market in the city to protect the stall holders and customers from the virus.

He said: "Governments want people to follow the social distancing rules, but people sometimes need to go to buy food from the market where it is crowded so we need equipment to handle that."

Provincial governor Suthep Maneechote said the invention would be very beneficial due to the shortage of alcohol-based hand gel sanitiser.

He said: "The tunnel could be useful since the alcohol sanitisers are running out due to the high demand. The tunnel should be good equipment to use as an alternative.''