BLACKSBURG, Va. (WWBT) – A Virginia Tech professor has created a surface coating that inactivates the virus that causes COVID-19.
William Ducker, a professor of chemical engineering, has been working since mid-March to develop the coating that when painted on objects will inactivate SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
“The idea is that when the drops fall on a solid object, the virus inside the drops will be deactivated,” said Ducker.
Ducker has been working with Leo Poon, a professor and researcher at the University of Hong Kong School of Public Health since mid-April to assess the effectiveness of the coating’s success.
Their research was recently published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, a scientific journal.
Ducker said that when placed on glass or stainless steel, the amount of virus is reduced by 99.9 percent in one hour.
“One hour is the shortest period we have tested so far, and testing in shorter periods is ongoing,” said Ducker.
His expectation is that his team can create something to inactivate the virus in a matter of minutes.
“The results have shown that the coating is robust. It does not peel off after being cut with a razor blade. It also retains its ability to inactivate the virus after multiple rounds of exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and then disinfection or after being immersed in water for a week, according to tests, “a Virginia Tech statement said.
If the project’s success continues, it will be an important discovery used in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus.
“Everyone is concerned about touching objects that may have the coronavirus,” said Ducker. “It would help people to relax a little bit.”
Ducker was already working on making movies focused on killing bacteria, but as COVID-19 continued to spread, he shifted gears to eradicate a virus.
“We have to use our chemical knowledge and the experience of other viruses to guess what would kill it [SARS-CoV-2]”Ducker said.
Ducker said he hopes to attract funds to mass produce the film, but says it does not replace other security measures to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Copyright 2020 WWBT. All rights reserved.
.
