Source: Carolina Panthers / Carolina Panthers
With the NFL dealing with its second possible outbreak, some teams are taking as many precautions as possible.
The Carolina Panthers are aware of how dangerous the coronavirus can be and have purchased a sanitizing robot to ensure their facilities stay as clean as possible. It’s called a LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robot, a product from Xenex Disinfection Services, and it was first shown in the first episode of the Panthers’ “Road to Restart.”
The LightStrike is nothing new in the medical world as its often used in hospital rooms to prevent the contraction of diseases that are usually found in health care environments like staph and MRSA. It does its job by just rolling through the room and shoots out broad-spectrum UV light that kills virus DNA.
“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 infectious 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 is an important part of those efforts.”
Levins heard about the machine and immediately told the team’s owner David Tepper about the robots who signed off on adding them to the Panther’s preventative measures. The team’s facilities are currently outfitted with two, but they’re open to more if need be.
Unlike the NBA, the NFL has had a hard time preventing outbreaks. It began with the Tenessee Titans last week who’ve suspended all in-person contact with 8 positive cases, and the Patriots have even postponed a game after quarterback Cam Newton was infected with the virus.
