Human Coronavirus 229E Remains Infectious on Common Touch Surface Materials

Warnes, Sarah L.; Little, Zoë R.; Keevil, C. William

Tiron (B and D) to remove Cu(II) or Cu(I) ionic species and hydroxyl radical or superoxide, respectively. Both chelators protected coronavirus from inactivation on copper and brass surfaces, suggesting that release of Cu(I) and Cu(II) is required for antiviral activity. Tiron was protective for the first hour of contact on copper and brass surfaces, indicating that superoxide is directly or indirectly involved in the inactivation mechanism. However, D-mannitol gave minimum protection on copper but prolonged protection on brass surfaces. Increasing the concentration of D-mannitol did not affect the results (not shown). This suggests that copper ions are the main moieties responsible for inactivation of coronavirus on 100% copper surfaces but that generation of hydroxyl radicals becomes more significant as the concentration of copper in the alloy is reduced. EDTA, BCS, D-mannitol, and Tiron did not significantly affect the infectivity of HuCoV-229E on stainless steel controls or in suspensions (not shown). Error bars represent Ï® SEM, and data are from the results of multiple experiments. imported case arising from travel to the Middle East (10, 11) . The current increase in the incidence of MERS has been described as a "subcritical epidemic," but statistics have concentrated on severe cases only. It remains to be seen if the number of cases continues to escalate, and the evolution of SARS and MERS is a timely reminder of the constant threat of other coronaviruses making the jump from a large reservoir in wild and domestic animals to the human population. Several Hajj pilgrims returning to Austria had contracted serious respiratory disease caused by influenza A and B virus and not MERS (50) , emphasizing that there are multiple risks of contacting infectious diseases in any highly populated areas.