Anti-pathogen stainless steel combating COVID-19.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Microbiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains stable on stainless steel (SS) surfaces for extended periods, increasing transmission risk.
• Conventional SS surfaces pose a significant public health concern due to pathogen persistence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an innovative anti-pathogen SS with enhanced antimicrobial properties against SARS-CoV-2.
• To investigate the efficacy of copper- and silver-containing SS and pure metals against various pathogens.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of SARS-CoV-2, H1N1 influenza A virus, and Escherichia coli inactivation on different metal surfaces.
• Quantitative assessment of viable virus reduction over time on copper-contained SS.
• Measurement of ion release concentrations from metal surfaces.

Main Results:

• Copper-contained SS, particularly with high copper content (20 wt%), demonstrated significant antiviral and antibacterial activity.
• The developed SS reduced viable SARS-CoV-2 by 99.75% within 3 hours and 99.99% within 6 hours.
• Silver and silver-contained SS showed limited efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 and H1N1, unlike copper-based materials.

Conclusions:

• Copper-contained SS exhibits potent anti-pathogen properties, effectively inactivating SARS-CoV-2, H1N1, and E. coli.
• The developed anti-pathogen SS, manufactured using powder metallurgy, shows potential for applications in high-touch public surfaces to combat pathogen transmission.