TCID50 Measurements of anti-viral efficacy on metal printed masks and plastic surfaces

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has created a need for effective personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent viral spread. PPE like face masks contain the spread of virus-filled droplets and thus reduce infection rates, has been a critical tool in stopping the spread of SARS-CoV-2. PET plastic barriers have also been used in public settings to reduce face to face viral transmission. However, in some cases, they have provided additional contact with the virus due to contamination. In order study, we evaluated the effectiveness of face masks and PET plastics coated in different metals in reducing viral load. We compared PPE printed with silver, copper, or zinc for their ability to inactivate live human coronavirus HCoV 229E. Our results show that silver and copper have significant anti-viral efficacy when printed on nonwoven fabric compared to the controls. The metal-printed PET showed around 70% anti-viral efficacy with any formulations, with copper performing the best. This work builds more data to support the development of metal printed materials for enhanced protection against coronaviruses.