ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – COVID-19 first hit the news more than three years ago. But since those first reports, we’ve learned so much about the virus. Science now tells us it can survive up to 72 hours on plastic and stainless-steel surfaces, and can live 24 hours on cardboard. The findings suggest that you don’t have to come into contact with a person who has it, but by simply touching contaminated surfaces, you can come down with COVID. That’s why researchers are now developing new ways to kill COVID before it comes into contact with people. Nano-Coatings Wipe Out.
We spent months spraying and cleaning every single surface and handle we could find.
A team of University of Central Florida researchers – that included biomedical and material scientist Sudipta Seal, PhD and material scientist Craig Neal, PhD – stepped up to the challenge and created a nano-based disinfectant that can kill several viruses, including COVID-19. Nano-Coatings Wipe Out
“When you shrink a material down to nano dimensions, they have unique physical chemical properties. The nano material itself has this antiviral property,” Neal explained to Ivanhoe.
The particles are so small, it would take 100,000 of them to be as thick as a single strand of human hair. They’re combined with silicon dioxide to make a synthesized silk patch.
The nano-coating uses regular everyday white light to generate UV light and destroy the virus. Originally designed for protective equipment like gloves, facemasks, and visors, now, these researchers believe this coating would work just about everywhere.
Professor Seal adds, “I would see coating door handles, countertops, hospitals, and so on.”
The team at UCF is working to create a spray for another material. They are testing it on up to seven other types of viruses and believe it can be easily and quickly tweaked to combat any new pathogens that are found.
Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Roque Correa, Videographer & Editor.
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Source:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/science-and-research/surface-transmission.html
MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS
RESEARCH SUMMARY
TOPIC: MEDICINE’S NEXT BIG THING: NANO-COATINGS WIPE OUT COVID-19
REPORT: MB #5214
BACKGROUND: COVID-19, or the coronavirus is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Most people infected with the virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment, though, some will become seriously ill and require medical attention. The elderly and those with underlying medical conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, or cancer are more likely to develop serious illness. Anyone, even those without underlying medical conditions, can get sick with COVID-19 and become seriously ill or die at any age. As of April 12, 2023, the current 7-day average of weekly new cases is close to 15,000. There have been over 100 million COVID-19 cases reported in the United States as of April 12, 2023.
(Sources: https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus#tab=tab_1
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/covidview/index.html)
SYMPTOMS AND DIAGNOSIS: Symptoms of COVID-19 can vary. Some common signs are fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, headaches, new loss of taste and/or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and/or diarrhea. COVID-19 can be diagnosed by having a health care provider take a sample from the nose, throat, or saliva and then the samples are sent to a lab for testing. If you’re coughing up sputum, that may also be sent for testing.
(Sources: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
NEW TECHNOLOGY: A team of researchers at the University of Central Florida, led by Materials Science and Engineering Professor Sudipta Seal, have been awarded a patent for their nanomaterial-based disinfectant that can kill several viruses, including COVID-19. The coating is made with a nanomaterial that activates under white light, such as sunlight or LED light. When the nanomaterial is exposed to a continuous light source, it can regenerate its antiviral properties, creating a self-cleaning effect.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS REPORT, PLEASE CONTACT:
Robert Wells
If this story or any other Ivanhoe story has impacted your life or prompted you or someone you know to seek or change treatments, please let us know by contacting Marjorie Bekaert Thomas at mthomas@ivanhoe.com
