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Coating Surfaces With Copper has the Potential To Kill SARS-CoV-2 Faster

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Coating could improve masks

While wearing a mask is an effective way of preventing the spread of COVID-19, Delumeau said adding an antiviral coating containing copper to the outside of the protective material or an inside filter could add an additional layer of safety.


“Not only would a mask that covers the nose and mouth greatly limit the transmission of the virus but adding a coating such as the one we developed could actually kill the virus rapidly and reduce the amount of virus spread,” he said. The researchers’ antiviral coating could also be applied to high-touch public surfaces, Delumeau said.


The Waterloo research group is developing coating techniques for masks and is continuing to explore the dissolution process for smaller droplet sizes, as well as investigating how to control the adhesion of copper films to various surfaces.


Reference: Delumeau LV, Asgarimoghaddam H, Alkie T, et al. Effectiveness of antiviral metal and metal oxide thin-film coatings against human coronavirus 229E. APL Mater. 2021;9(11):111114. doi: 10.1063/5.0056138


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