Disinfecting effect of copper on SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses

[Astronuc]

When researchers reported last month that the novel Coronavirus causing the COVID-19 pandemic survives for days on glass and stainless steel but dies within hours after landing on copper, the only thing that surprised Bill Keevil was that the pathogen lasted so long on copper

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/copper-virus-kill-180974655/

Keevil, a microbiology researcher at the University of Southampton (U.K.), has studied the antimicrobial effects of copper for more than two decades. He has watched in his laboratory as the simple metal slew one bad bug after another. He began with the bacteria that causes Legionnaire's Disease and then turned to drug-resistant killer infections like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). He tested viruses that caused worldwide health scares such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and the Swine Flu (H1N1) pandemic of 2009. In each case, copper contact killed the pathogen within minutes. "It just blew it apart," he says.

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/new-coronavirus-stable-hours-surfaces

The virus that causes Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is stable for several hours to days in aerosols and on surfaces, according to a new study from National Institutes of Health, CDC, UCLA and Princeton University scientists in The New England Journal of Medicine. The scientists found that severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was detectable in aerosols for up to three hours, up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel.

The effect of copper seems to be independently verified. One should continue to use hand sanitizer and wear a protective face cover/mask.

 

[alanarman20]

The virus that causes Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is stable for several hours to days in aerosols and on surfaces, according to a new study from National Institutes of Health, CDC, UCLA and Princeton University scientists in The New England Journal of Medicine. The scientists found that severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was detectable in aerosols for up to three hours, up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel. The results provide key information about the stability of SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19 disease, and suggests that people may acquire the virus through the air and after touching contaminated objects. The study information was widely shared during the past two weeks after the researchers placed the contents on a preprint server to quickly share their data with colleagues.

 

[Keith_McClary]

As COVID-19 spreads via respiratory droplets, researchers have become increasingly interested in the drying of droplets on impermeable and porous surfaces. Surfaces that accelerate evaporation can decelerate the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
...
The researchers found the Coronavirus can survive for four days on glass, seven days on plastic, and seven days on stainless steel. But on paper and cloth, the virus survived for only three hours and two days, respectively.

"Based on our study, we recommend that furniture in hospitals and offices, made of impermeable material, such as glass, stainless steel, or laminated wood, be covered with porous material, such as cloth, to reduce the risk of infection upon touch," said author Sanghamitro Chatterjee.

 

[Keith_McClary]

While previous studies reported antibacterial effects by designing superhydrophobic (repels water) surfaces, their work indicates antiviral surface design can be achieved by surface hydrophilicity (attracts water).

"Our present work demonstrates that designing anti-COVID-19 surfaces is possible," said Janini Murallidharan, a co-author. "We also propose a design methodology and provide parameters needed to engineer surfaces with the shortest virus survival times."

The researchers discovered that surfaces with taller and closely packed pillars, with a contact angle of around 60 degrees, show the strongest antiviral effect or shortest drying time.

 

[BigDon]

Most bronze and brass contains enough copper to be completely self sterilizing in eight hours according to the other physics forums articles. (Physorg?)

Turns out to be an ideal material for railings and doorknobs, before people even knew about microorganisms.

 

[jim mcnamara]

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/201...ng-and-Disinfection-of-Environmental-Surfaces

This is the CDC's current guidelines. In general surfaces need to be cleaned when pathogenic contamination is possible. However Covid transmission from surface to infect humans is low compared to airborne transmission, apparently by a large factor. SARS-Cov-2 is transmitted mostly by airborne particles.

As expressed above in other posts cladding everything with copper is beyond expensive and because the surface to human transmission of the disease is very low, it is an unacceptably low ROI to copper clad every public surface in every public building and many houses too.

Example:
As of this note, 20ga 12inch X 12inch copper sheets sell for US$11.40
To cover my front door on both sides, including handles would be 36 sheets * 11.40 = US$410.40. Actually my house has three exterior doors so we are over US$1200. Buying copper door hardware is alternate choice and exspensive as well.

When surface disinfection is deemed necessary, surface disinfectants are very effective against SARS-Cov-2. Example, 1% bleach solution is very effective.

Thanks to everyone for helping the thread along. It is at an endpoint now.
Thread closed.

 

[Rive]

To cover my front door on both sides, including handles

To cover the whole door would be a bit of an overkill, I think

There was another topic about this, about usage in hospitals. What come up there still stands. Copper is a very mild disinfectant. May help to cover slip-ups in cleaning, but in itself it's just not good enough.
As a doorknob, more nice than useful