Researchers develop COVID-killing stainless steel
December 26, 2021
Researchers in Hong Kong said they have developed the world’s first stainless steel that kills the Covid-19 virus within hours. The newly-developed alloy can inactivate 99.75% of the SARS-CoV-2 virus within three hours and 99.99% within six hours, according to a study published by a team of researchers at the University of Hong Kong.
The innovation — if proved effective and cheaply scalable — will significantly reduce the costs of regularly disinfecting mass-transit public areas such as airports and train stations as well as other venues where crowds congregate such as movie theatres and sports stadiums. The antimicrobial property in the alloy is long-term, even if it is continuously damaged during service, the researchers said in the published study. Under ordinary circumstances, the COVID-inducing virus can stay on surfaces for more than two days. This new stainless steel alloy can protect against other disease-causing microbes too.
(Source: Bloomberg)
