Destruction/Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 Virus Using Ultrasound Excitation: A Preliminary Study

SARS-CoV-2, the causative virus of the COVID-19 pandemic, is a highly transmissible, enveloped, single-stranded RNA virus that has mutated into several variants, complicating vaccine strategies and drug resistance. Novel treatment modalities targeting conserved structural vulnerable points are essential to combat these variants. The primary aim of the current study is to test the mechanical vulnerability of the SARS-CoV-2 virus envelope and spike proteins to focused, high-frequency ultrasound waves (25 MHz) in vitro. Utilizing a preliminary pretest and posttest study design, the study was conducted on a virus sample within a distilled water matrix, under controlled laboratory biosafety conditions. Since detailed imaging tools were unavailable, viral disruption was indirectly measured using real-time PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values. Ct values increased significantly after high-frequency ultrasound exposure, indicating a reduction in amplifiable viral genomic material. A paired t-test indicated a significant difference between the pretest and posttest Ct (p < 0.001), which is supported by Monte Carlo test results that revealed statistically significant shifting in viral load categories (p = 0.001, two-sided). Specifically, 85.7% of high-viral-load samples converted to low or moderate content, 46.7% of low or moderate samples were shifted to negative content. This intervention produced a large effect size (Cohen's d = 2.422). These results indicate that ultrasound may offer a promising non-pharmacological approach to destroy or inactivate SARS-CoV-2 variants in an aqueous environment.