A Virginia Tech scientist has created a coating that he says can be applied to commonly used items to kill the new coronavirus virus that causes COVID-19.
Virginia Tech professor William Ducker explains how it felt to develop a life-saving product
A Virginia Tech scientist has created a coating that he says can be applied to commonly used items to kill the new coronavirus virus that causes COVID-19.
“It inactivates 99.9% of the virus in one hour,” said Virginia Tech chemical engineering professor William Ducker.
The coating can be applied to everything from doorknobs to supermarket trolley handles to gas pump nozzles. Ducker’s work with researcher Leo Poon, a professor and researcher at the University of Hong Kong School of Public Health, has been ongoing since April.
Initial tests show that the new coronavirus, officially called SARS-CoV-2, is undetectable one hour after contact with the treated surfaces; But Ducker believes that additional tests will show that the coating is capable of faster results.
“Poon is now testing it in shorter periods, up to minutes, and we will get those results next week,” Ducker said.
The researchers expect the coating’s killing power to kick in within a couple of minutes, “and if not, we’re already working on the solution. We’re trying to improve it, “said Ducker.
The coating is not a disinfectant that only disinfects items until the next contaminant arrives.
“A great thing is that it goes on and on and on. You don’t need to re-coat, re-clean, redo anything,” Ducker said. “Once the overlay is there, from now until Christmas, you’re going to be turning off the coronavirus without any human intervention. “
The lining is also durable, according to Ducker.
“The American standard test, which is cutting it with a razor blade to see if it peels off, passed very well,” he said.
Ducker has high hopes that the coating can be used in various places.
“I would love if we could implement it and take it to companies like hotels, casinos, cruises, hospitals and public transportation, so that you can start disabling the coronavirus in all of those places,” Ducker said.
He thinks it can give peace of mind to people who fear that the surfaces they touch may make them sick.
“I love the fact that [the coating] It actually worked. I would love to have partners to bring it into the consumer space so that people can be helped by it, ”said Ducker. “That is something that would make me feel even better than making it up. I would like to see it really be used.
The research is published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, a scientific journal for chemists, engineers, biologists, and physicists.
More news from Coronavirus
Looking for more information? DC, Maryland and Virginia publish more data every day. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | DC
Like WTOP on Facebook and follow @WTOP on Twitter to start a conversation about this article and others.
Receive breaking news and daily headlines in your email inbox by registering here.
© 2020 WTOP. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
