New coating for doorknobs, light switches can kill coronavirus in an hour

Researchers found that when the coating was painted on glass or stainless steel, the amount of coronavirus reduced by 99.9 per cent in one hour.

Corovirus can land on surfaces like doorknobs if an infected person coughs on or touches with dirty hands.

Researchers say that the novel coronavirus can survive on surfaces, like a door handle or light switches, for 2-3 days after an infected person touches it with dirty fingers. As these are frequently touched surfaces, it is highly likely that you may get exposed to the virus while in the hospitals, hotels, offices, or even at home. The current date also shows that the majority of the infected people are asymptomatic, which means they don't show any symptoms. So, there is a possibility that someone around you may be carrying the virus and spreading it, without knowing it. Researchers have found a solution to this problem - a surface coating that can kill SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) in one hour. The coating can be painted on common objects like doorknobs or light switches.

The results of the tests have been outstanding, they said in their study paper published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

Tested on glass and stainless steel

When the coating was painted on glass or stainless steel, the researchers found that the amount of coronavirus reduced by 99.9 per cent in one hour, compared to the uncoated sample.

When the contaminated respiratory droplets land on a solid object with the new coating, the virus within the droplets will be inactivated, said study author William Ducker from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the US.

Ducker and Leo Poon, a researcher at the University of Hong Kong, have been working together since mid-April to test the film's success at inactivating the virus.

The coating is so robust that it does not peel off even after being slashed with a razor blade. Its ability to inactivate the virus remains unaffected even after multiple rounds of being exposed to the germ or after being submerged in water for a week.

Now, the research team is looking for funding in order to mass-produce the coating film.

However, the researchers noted the film 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.

Disinfect surfaces frequently

The virus can land on objects if an infected person coughs on or touches them with dirty hands. So, experts advise that we should disinfect surfaces frequently to contain the spread of the pathogen. You will find many disinfectants in the store. Which one you should choose?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recently approved Lysol's disinfectant spray as effective against SARS-COV-2. Two products, Lysol Disinfectant Spray and Lysol Disinfectant Max Cover Mist, have been approved for use against COVID-19, the company said.

The agency apparently tested the products in a laboratory and saw that they can kill the virus on surfaces within two minutes of use. The EPA recognizes that using Lysol Disinfectant Spray can help to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on hard, non-porous surfaces.

Wiping away dirt and impurities will not kill germs or pathogens on the surfaces. You should use a sanitizer or disinfectant to clean your surfaces. You can get the best from using the disinfectants. They can kill more germs stronger than sanitizers and normal cleaning agents. According to the EPA, sanitizers can kill 99.9 per cent germs while disinfectants can effectively get rid of 99.999 per cent of germs that lurk on hard, non-porous surfaces or objects.

With inputs from IANS