Xenex Robots help hospitals zap germs, fight possible outbreaks

The robots are being used in more than 450 hospitals across the nation

SAN ANTONIO – The new coronavirus is causing more precautions this week.

A flight to evacuate Americans from Wuhan, China is scheduled to take off on Wednesday.

The Chinese city is considered the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak and more than 80 people are confirmed dead in China.

There are five Americans diagnosed with the virus after traveling from overseas.

Test results for the two students at Baylor and Texas A & M Universities came back negative.

Texas A&M University student tests negative for coronavirus

U.S. health officials say there is no evidence of the virus spreading in the U.S. and the risk to Americans remains low.

A San Antonio-based company is helping hospitals disinfect rooms with germ-zapping robots.

This works by using ultraviolet light to kill the pathogens that can cause infection.

The Xenex robots are in some hospitals overseas and crews are sharing information with partners in countries closer to the outbreak.

Stores in central Texas are running out of medical masks after possible case of coronavirus reported

There are more than 450 hospitals across the U.S. with the robots, including some in San Antonio, such as University Hospital, Baptist Orthopedic and the Audie L. Murphy Memorial VA Hospital.


About the Author:

Adrian Ortega is a news producer for the Nightbeat. He joined the station in 2016. Adrian helped expand the Nightbeat to a one-hour newscast on the weekend and is now producing for the Nightbeat 5 times per week. He's helped cover the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 winter storm, race and policing in SA and the Alazan-Apache Courts on the West Side.