Interrogating the Effect of Assay Media on the Rate of Virus Inactivation of High‐Touch Copper Surfaces: A Materials Science Approach

Contamination of high-touch surfaces with infected droplets bodily secretions is a known route virus transmission. Copper have been reported to inactivate human coronaviruses after several minutes, via the release Cu cations. Utilization copper alloys for can be pivotal preemptive strategy preventing next pandemic. Understanding true efficacy by which copper, and alloys, under realistic conditions essential tuning intrinsic alloy features such as composition, grain orientation, surface attributes, optimize antiviral function. However, inactivation measurements depend on presence an assay media (AM) solution carrier virus, its effects properties pure that regulate oxidative are previously unknown. Herein, these influence AM occurring investigated. The process uncovered five-fold decrease in half-life observed simulated real-life conditions, relative exposure traditional AM. investigation highlights notion may significantly more effective than thought.