While the world waits for a vaccine or a drug against the coronavirus, sanitization is our only hope to stay safe. Till the date a vaccine is released to the world, only proper hygiene and sanitization can protect us from the deadly coronavirus. Scientists all across the world are trying new chemicals to help aid in the sanitization process. And to make our lives easier, the scientists at Virginia Polytechnic Institute have come up with a surface coating that when applied to stainless steel and glass surfaces, can kill 99.9% of the coronavirus germs in just one hour! Shocking right?
The Idea Behind the Development:
This study has been published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. According to William Ducker, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, US, “The idea is when the droplets land on a solid object, the virus within the droplets will be inactivated. One hour is the shortest period that we have tested so far, and tests at shorter periods are ongoing. We have to use our chemical knowledge and experience of other viruses to guess what would kill the coronavirus.”
William Ducker had partnered in May with Leo Poon, a researcher in Hong Kong to test the effectiveness of the coating.
For the course of the research, scientists applied three varieties of coating on glass and stainless steel. Thereafter, it was shipped to Poon for final testing. Results claim that the coating is robust and did not come off even after scratching with a blade. Even after multiple coronavirus exposures, the film retains its ability to destroy the infection. With such promising results, the team is now waiting to receive funding in order to begin with mass production.
The author of the research further said, “To be sure, the film doesn’t replace other safety measures that people should take to stop the coronavirus spread, such as handwashing, physical distancing, and wearing a mask. People won’t have to worry as much about touching objects, it will be both practical and reducing fear.”