Fight against COVID-19: The case of antiviral surfaces

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is the largest global public health outbreak in the 21st century so far. Based on World Health Organization reports, the main source of SARS-CoV-2 infection is transmission of droplets released when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or exhales. Viral particles can remain in the air and on the surfaces for a long time. These droplets are too heavy to float in air and rapidly fall down onto the surfaces. To minimize the risk of the infection, entire surrounding environment should be disinfected or neutralized regularly. Development of the antiviral coating for the surface of objects that are frequently used by the public could be a practical route to prevent the spread of the viral particles and inactivation of the transmission of the viruses. In this short review, the design of the antiviral coating to combat the spread of different viruses has been discussed and the technological attempts for minimizing the coronavirus outbreak have been highlighted.

Nanotechnology as a Shield against COVID-19: Current Advancement and Limitations

“…This coating surface repels oil and water and inactivates coronavirus. It is proposed that silver nanoparticles can inhibit replication of virus nucleotides and inactivate SARS-CoV-2 by interacting with surface spike proteins [ 40 ].…”

“…Copper nanoparticles show antibacterial and antiviral properties and are used to develop super-hydrophobic nanocoatings through the dispersion of nanoparticles in a flexible polymer matrix with the help of a solvent such as acetone. The resultant emulsion can be spray-coated on different surfaces such as doors, knobs, wooden surfaces, and fabrics [ 40 ].…”

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“…27 Due to its excellent photocatalytic activity, TiO2 nanoparticles were recognized as an effective material in destroying bacteria, some viral species and parasites. 28,29 Earlier, the effectiveness of TiO2 against influenza virus has been proved. 30 All previously mentions, indicate that TiO 2 nanoparticles can be successfully used in the fight with COVID-19 pandemic as a self-disinfecting surface for personal protective equipment (PPE) disinfection or as a drug carrier.…”

“…Incorporation of nanostructures into the facemask body resulted in new properties making the facemask materials more efficient, resistant and safer for use. [1][2][3] Nanomaterials with dimensions less than one micrometer are falling in the nano-scale regime. This nano-size is comparable to the size of the virus itself (Figure 1), endowing nanomaterial with effective functional qualities in combating it.…”

3D printed cobalt-chromium-molybdenum porous superalloy with superior antiviral activity

“…According to Sun and Ostrikov [4], this gives the virus a longer-lasting ability to retain activity on diverse surfaces. As such the lessons so far dealing with SARS-CoV-2 transmission suggests that the new developments of antiviral materials are critical in establishing pandemic preparedness [4,5].…”