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Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 and Other Enveloped and Non-Enveloped Viruses with Non-Thermal Plasma for Hospital
Maxime Sahun1, Angela Privat-Maldonado1,2, Abraham Lin1,2
1Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine-Antwerp (PLASMANT), Department of Chemistry, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium.
Abstract:
As recently highlighted by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, viruses have become an increasing burden for health, global economy, and environment. The control of transmission by contact with contaminated materials represents a major challenge, particularly in hospital environments. However, the current disinfection methods in hospital settings suffer from numerous drawbacks. As a result, several medical supplies that cannot be properly disinfected are not reused, leading to severe shortages and increasing amounts of waste, thus prompting the search for alternative solutions. In this work, we report that non-thermal plasma (NTP) can effectively inactivate SARS-CoV-2 from non-porous and porous materials commonly found in healthcare facilities. We demonstrated that 5 min treatment with a dielectric barrier discharge NTP can inactivate 100% of SARS-CoV-2 (Wuhan and Omicron strains) from plastic material. Using porcine respiratory coronavirus (surrogate for SARS-CoV-2) and coxsackievirus B3 (highly resistant non-enveloped virus), we tested the NTP virucidal activity on hospital materials and obtained complete inactivation after 5 and 10 min, respectively. We hypothesize that the produced reactive species and local acidification contribute to the overall virucidal effect of NTP. Our results demonstrate the potential of dielectric barrier discharge NTPs for the rapid, efficient, and low-cost disinfection of healthcare materials.
Insights
Non-thermal plasma (NTP) effectively inactivates SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses on healthcare materials. This rapid, low-cost disinfection method offers a promising solution for reducing waste and shortages of medical supplies.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Materials Science
- Plasma Physics
Background:
- Viral outbreaks like SARS-CoV-2 pose significant global health and economic challenges.
- Current hospital disinfection methods are inadequate, leading to medical supply shortages and waste.
- Effective disinfection of contaminated materials is crucial, especially in healthcare settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of non-thermal plasma (NTP) for inactivating SARS-CoV-2 on common healthcare materials.
- To assess the virucidal activity of NTP against different viral strains and material types.
- To explore NTP as a sustainable alternative for medical supply disinfection.
Main Methods:
- Dielectric barrier discharge NTP was applied to SARS-CoV-2 (Wuhan and Omicron strains) on plastic materials.
- NTP treatment was tested on porcine respiratory coronavirus and coxsackievirus B3 on hospital materials.
- Treatment durations ranged from 5 to 10 minutes.
Main Results:
- 100% inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 strains on plastic within 5 minutes of NTP treatment.
- Complete inactivation of porcine respiratory coronavirus and coxsackievirus B3 on hospital materials in 5 and 10 minutes, respectively.
- NTP demonstrated virucidal activity on both non-porous and porous materials.
Conclusions:
- Dielectric barrier discharge NTP is a highly effective virucidal technology.
- NTP offers a rapid, efficient, and potentially low-cost solution for disinfecting healthcare materials.
- This technology can help mitigate shortages and reduce waste associated with non-reusable medical supplies.
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