Rapidly self-sterilizing PPE capable of 99.9% SARS-CoV-2 deactivation in 30 seconds

Zinn, Alfred A.; Izadjoo, Mina; Kim, Hosan; Kehn-Hall, Kylene; Woodson, Caitlin; Brody, Rachel L.; Roth, Robert R.; Vega, Agustin; Nguyen, Khanh K.; Ngo, Nhi T.; Zinn, Hannah T.; Panny, Lauren; Flor, Rafaela; Antonopoulos, Nicholas; Stoltenberg, Randall M.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has created an acute worldwide demand for sustained broadband pathogen suppression in households, hospitals, and public spaces. The US recently passed a new sad milestone of 500,000 deaths due to COVID-19, the highest rate anywhere in the world. In response, we have created a rapid-acting, self-sterilizing PPE configurations capable of killing SARS-CoV-2 and other microbes in seconds. The highly active material destroys pathogens faster than any conventional copper configuration. The material maintains its antimicrobial efficacy over sustained use and is shelf stable. We have performed rigorous testing in accordance with guidelines from U.S. governing authorities and believe that the material could offer broad spectrum, non-selective defense against most microbes via integration into masks and other protective equipment. Summary A novel configuration of copper offering continued fast-acting protection against viruses and bacteria, including SARS-CoV-2.