Ozone gas effectively sanitizes Covid-19 infected surfaces and aerosol particles: Study
February 18, 2021
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Earlier studies have demonstrated that the virus lingers on aerosols and surfaces for between several hours and several days, depending on the nature of the surface and environmental conditions
Researchers at Tel Aviv University carried out a study to show that ozone, which is widely known for its antibacterial and antiviral properties in water treatment, effectively sanitizes surfaces infected with the coronavirus. The coronavirus can be destroyed after short exposure to low concentrations of ozone.
Earlier studies have demonstrated that the virus lingers on aerosols and surfaces for between several hours and several days, depending on the nature of the surface and environmental conditions.
It is possible to destroy the virus within minutes by gaseous ozone, which can be produced synthetically indoors.
The advantage of gaseous ozone over liquid disinfectants (such as alcohol and bleach) is its ability to treat entire rooms, including all objects found in it and hard-to-reach locations.
Most people recognize ozone as a thin layer of the Earth’s atmosphere that guards us against the harmful effects of UV radiation. However, ozone is also known as a strong oxidant and disinfectant employed in water and wastewater treatment schemes. Within the study framework, the research team decided to adapt the mechanisms whereby they use ozone to break down organic pollutants from contaminated waters and demonstrate the expected efficacy of the ozone in neutralizing Coronavirus.
Ozone gas is generated by electrical discharge (the breakdown of chemical compounds into their elements using electric current), in the course of which oxygen molecules are reconstructed in the form of ozone molecules. In the course of their study, the researchers demonstrated the inactivation from various infected surfaces, even in hard-to-reach locations. They demonstrated a high level of disinfection within minutes, even on surfaces not typically disinfected with manually-applied liquid disinfectan
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A teenager receives a vaccination against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Tel Aviv, Israel, January 24, 2021. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun.
HonestReporting has successfully countered (see here, here, and here) various false media narratives about Israel’s ongoing battle against the coronavirus. Perhaps most pervasive has been the accusation that Jerusalem was preventing the Palestinians from obtaining vaccines. However, the Jewish state has now become the first nation in the world to share COVID-19 inoculations with any external population. Moreover, the Palestinian Authority’s prime minister has announced that tens of thousands of additional jabs would soon be arriving in Ramallah.