Scientists in the United States have created a low-cost, non-toxic coating that reduces the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, by up to 90 percent.
The coating, the announcement about which was published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, could be utilised to make an antiviral fabric spray in the future.
"When you are walking into a hospital, you want to know that pillow you are putting your head onto is clean," said study lead author Taylor Wright, a doctoral student at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada. "This coating could take a little bit of the worry off frontline workers to have personal protection equipment (PPE) with antimicrobial properties," Wright said.
Researchers immersed cloth in a solution of a bacteria-killing polymer that contains a molecule that, when exposed to light, produces sterilising forms of oxygen. They then utilised ultraviolet (UV) radiation to solidify the solution, allowing the coating to adhere to the cloth.
"This coating has both passive and active antimicrobial properties, killing microbes immediately upon contact, which is then amped up when sunlight hits the cloth," said senior study author Michael Wolf, a professor at UBC.
According to the researchers, both components are acceptable for human consumption, and the entire process takes about an hour at room temperature. It also makes the fabric hydrophobic, which means microorganisms are less likely to attach to it, and it doesn't appear to alter the fabric's strength, according to the researchers. Further, the coating may be applied to practically any fabric, including cotton, polyester, denim, and silk, and has uses in medical materials, masks, and activewear.
Other similar technologies can produce chemical waste, need a lot of energy, or require expensive equipment, but the new method is simple and inexpensive, according to the researchers. "All we need is a beaker and a light bulb. I am fairly certain I could do the whole process on a stove," Wright said.
The researchers not only tested the coating’s effectivity against COVID-19, but also other infection sources like Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). They found that while the coating itself was ineffective against the virus, once exposed to green light, it was more effective and the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 was reduced by up to 90 per cent.
"Biomanufacturing face masks based on this new UBC technology would represent an important addition to our arsenal in the fight against COVID-19, in particular for highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern such as Omicron," said Jean. An 'anti-stink' coating can be applied to regions where people tend to sweat, eradicating the bacteria that causes us to stink. Hospital fabric and sportswear firms are already interested in the idea, according to the researchers, and the university has filed a patent application in the United States.