Ag nanoparticles-based antimicrobial polycotton fabrics to prevent the transmission and spread of SARS-CoV-2

Pathogens (bacteria, fungus and virus) are becoming a potential threat to the health of human beings and environment worldwide. They widely exist in the environment, with characteristics of variety, spreading quickly and easily causing adverse reactions. In this work, an Ag-based material is used to be incorporated and functionalized in polycotton fabrics using pad-dry-cure method. This composite proved to be effective for inhibiting the SARS-CoV-2 virus, decreasing the number of replicates in 99.99% after an incubation period of 2 minutes. In addition, it caused 99.99% inhibition of the pathogens S. aureus, E. coli and C. albicans, preventing cross-infections and does not cause allergies or photoirritation processes, demonstrating the safety of its use.