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Thermal inactivation scaling applied for SARS-CoV-2
Shahar Seifer1, Michael Elbaum1
1Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
Biophysical Journal
|November 30, 2020
Summary
This study presents a new model for virus inactivation time based on protein denaturation, showing mild fever may effectively inactivate SARS-CoV-2 within 24 hours.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Biophysics
- Thermodynamics
Background:
- Protein denaturation rate is crucial for understanding virus inactivation.
- Existing models may not fully capture the thermal sensitivity of viruses like SARS-CoV-2.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a new model for virus inactivation time based on protein denaturation.
- To investigate the role of entropy-related barriers in thermal inactivation.
- To predict the efficacy of mild fever in inactivating SARS-CoV-2.
Main Methods:
- Derived a formula for virus inactivation time as a function of temperature using a protein denaturation model.
- Incorporated reaction coordinates for conformational disorder and solvent wetting.
- Utilized Landau theory of phase transition to describe the free energy barrier.
- Fitted the model to experimental data for SARS-CoV-2.
Main Results:
- Developed a model where inactivation rate scales with temperature difference (T - Tm).
- Determined a parameter U = 1.32 for SARS-CoV-2 in Celsius.
- The entropy barrier mechanism provides a better explanation for thermal sensitivity than the Arrhenius law.
- Predicted that mild fever for ~24 hours can inactivate the virus.
Conclusions:
- The entropy barrier model offers a more suitable explanation for SARS-CoV-2 thermal inactivation.
- Mild fever is a potentially effective method for inactivating SARS-CoV-2.
- Further research into entropy-driven mechanisms of virus inactivation is warranted.
