In a new study, researchers developed a surface coating that can inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19 in one hour.
The research was done by a team at Virginia Tech.
Door knobs, light switches, shopping carts. Fear runs rampant nowadays when it comes to touching common surfaces because of the rapid spread of the coronavirus.
Since mid-March, the team has developed a surface coating that when painted on common objects, inactivates SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
The idea is when the droplets land on a solid object, the virus within the droplets will be inactivated.
Since mid-April, the team has been working to test the film’s success at inactivating the virus.
The results of the tests have been outstanding. When the coating is painted on glass or stainless steel, the amount of virus is reduced by 99.9% in one hour, compared to the uncoated sample.
The team’s expectation is that the method can inactivate the virus in minutes. Results have shown that the coating is robust. It does not peel off after being slashed with a razor blade.
It also retains its ability to inactivate the virus after multiple rounds of being exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and then disinfection or after being submerged in water for a week, based on the tests.
If the project’s success continues, it is a big discovery in fighting the virus’ spread.
To be sure, the new method doesn’t replace other safety measures that people should take to stop the spread of the coronavirus, such as hand-washing, physical distancing, and wearing a mask.
One author of the study is William Ducker, a chemical engineering professor.
The study is published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
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