Luminore CopperTouch™ surface coating effectively inactivates SARS-CoV-2, Ebola and Marburg viruses in vitro

medRxiv [Preprint]. 2020 Jul 14:2020.07.05.20146043. doi: 10.1101/2020.07.05.20146043.

Abstract

We investigated the ability of Luminore CopperTouch™ copper and copper-nickel surfaces to inactivate filoviruses and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). For this purpose, we compared viral titers in Vero cells from viral droplets exposed to copper surfaces for 30 min. The copper and copper-nickel surfaces inactivated 99.9% of the viral titer of both Ebola and Marburg viruses. The copper surfaces also inactivated 99% of SARS-CoV-2 titers in 2 hours to close to the limit of detection. These data add Ebolavirus, Marburgvirus, and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) to the list of pathogens that can be inactivated by exposure to copper ions, validating Luminore CopperTouch™ technology (currently the only Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]-registered cold spray antimicrobial surface technology) as an efficacious, cost-friendly tool to improve infection control in hospitals, long-term care facilities, schools, hotels, buses, trains, airports, and other highly trafficked areas.

Publication types

  • Preprint