Perplexing UVC steriliser design

When I saw this on eBay I was intrigued that a flexible strip with a clear plastic front could actually transmit UVC. So I got one and tested it.... I mean - did they even test their own finished product? It's got 10 REAL UVC LEDs with decent output, but then they blocked it! That's one of the perils of UVC, it will only pass through a few materials like uviol glass, quartz and some very specialist polymers. Perhaps the factory that made the product for them was supposed to use a specialist UVC transmissive sleeve material. Or maybe the design originally had a bare strip and they added the sleeve for moisture protection without understanding the optical consequences. My UVC meter shows a high UVC output from the bare LEDs, but that drops to zero as soon as the front plastic cover is placed between the LED and the meter. I had to double check this a few times afterwards. and also checked it with a classic UVC detecting phosphor test card. The majority of the LEDs seem to be near-UV ones for visual effect. Blue/UVA light does not have good germicidal properties. The current the LEDs are being run at is quite ferocious too. I'm not sure how long they would last in continuous use. I also wonder how many of these are still working in installations and consuming about 12W of power for a purple glow. Supporting the channel with a dollar or two on Patreon helps keep it independent of YouTube's quirks, avoids intrusive mid-video adverts, gives early access, bonus footage and regular quiet Patreon live streams. https://www.patreon.com/bigclive Alternatively, for a single coffee contribution you can use PayPal:- https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/bigclive #ElectronicsCreators