As COVID-19 continues to spread across the globe through physical contact and touching surfaces contaminated by the virus, various studies are being conducted to test drugs and other materials that could be effective in neutralizing the novel coronavirus.
According to Daily Mail's latest report, 99% of the coronavirus can be killed by copper and silver, as claimed by a new study. Meanwhile, anti-viral coatings for doorknobs that can neutralize COVID-19 in seconds could be available in the market in the next few weeks as stated by experts.
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Dr. Felicity de Cogan of the University of Birmingham confirmed on Wednesday, June 3 that engineers are creating materials and surfaces that can rapidly neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 virus which causes COVID-19. Anti-viral and self-cleaning doorknobs are just a few of these innovations.
Dr. de Cogan said in an online press conference that the materials will soon be ready in the market in the coming weeks. However, she clarified that it would most likely be finished by Christmas. Dr. de Cogan is an enterprise fellow at the Royal Academy of Engineering and the founder of NitroPep, an infection resistant coating.
"Surfaces are really important in the fight against COVID-19 and if we can clean surfaces we can stop the spread of disease," she said, stating that progress is already taking place in the field. "A self-cleaning surface, I believe, is a much stronger prospect as they need no maintenance, work continuously, and don't require people to change their behavior."
Anti-Viral coatings used in doorknobs can kill coronavirus in seconds; copper and silver can neutralize by 99%
According to The Daily Mail, one of the three main ways the novel coronavirus can be acquired is through surface transmission, as scientists had earlier posited. The other remaining ways are through smaller airborne droplets and direct human-to-human transmission via large droplets.
Dr. de Cogan claimed that silver and copper have shown strong evidence in effectively killing the novel coronavirus. She said that people are unlikely to be infected by COVID-19 when touching solid surfaces covered with copper and silver. Different studies claimed that 99% of the coronavirus can be killed after 2-6 hours by non-engineered metal.
William Keevil, a senior microbiologist at the University of Southampton, previously suggested that shopping trolleys, door handles, gym equipment, and handrails on public transportation should be coated with metals.
Keevil also said that airports in Brazil and Chile immigration kiosks were already coated with the metals, while Poland has been transforming their buses by using copper-plated handrails. Gyms in America, which are teeming with infectious germs and bacteria, are also using copper to cover barbells and other gym equipment.
