Could antiviral surface designs help reduce SARS-CoV-2’s spread?
It is now widely known that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), spreads via respiratory droplets. The persistence of the aerosol in the environment largely determines the success of the viral transmission.
In addition, the virus-laden droplets can also deposit on various surfaces by forming a fomite. While wearing masks and maintaining social distances help to mitigate the spread of the virus, the common surfaces that we touch contribute to this secondary source of viral transmission.
When a respiratory droplet from a COVID-19 infected person or an asymptomatic carrier lands on a surface, it is highly potent for transmissibility. Although about 99% of the liquid evaporates from the droplet, a thin layer of moisture remains, which keeps the virus viable. While frequent sanitation or the application of cold atmospheric
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IMAGE: Surfaces with taller and closely packed pillars with a contact angle of around 60 degrees show the strongest antiviral effect or shortest drying time. view more
Credit: S. Chatterjee, J.S. Murallidharan, A. Agrawal, and R. Bhardwaj
WASHINGTON, May 4, 2021 If a respiratory droplet from a person infected with COVID-19 lands on a surface, it becomes a possible source of disease spread. This is known as the fomite route of disease spread, in which the aqueous phase of the respiratory droplet serves as a medium for virus survival.
The lifespan of the respiratory droplet dictates how likely a surface is to spread a virus. While 99.9% of the droplet s liquid content evaporates within a few minutes, a residual thin film that allows the virus to survive can be left behind.