Copper can effectively help to prevent the spread of coronaviruses such as MERS-CoV, new research suggests.
The researchers found that antimicrobial copper surfaces could be used to help reduce the spread of the viruses and protect public health in communal areas and at mass gatherings.
A team, from Southampton University, UK, investigated copper as a method of preventing the spread of respiratory viruses.
These viruses cause severe acute respiratory syndrome and Middle East respiratory syndrome, both of which are transferred to humans from animals and cause severe infections with a high risk of mortality.
Dr Sarah Warnes and colleagues found in lab tests that a human coronavirus called 229E is rapidly destroyed on copper, though it remains infectious on common surface materials such as ceramic tiles, glass, rubber and stainless steel for at least five days.
On copper, and a range of copper alloys known as ‘antimicrobial copper’, the virus was inactivated within a few minutes. Findings appeared yesterday (10 November) in the microbiology journal mBio.
The team say that exposure to copper destroyed the virus completely and irreversibly.
Dr Warnes commented: "Transmission of infectious diseases via contaminated surfaces is far more important than was originally thought, and this includes viruses that cause respiratory infections. This is especially important when the infectious dose is low and just a few virus particles can initiate an infection.
"Human coronavirus was found to be permanently and rapidly deactivated upon contact with copper. What’s more, the viral genome and structure of the viral particles were destroyed, so nothing remained that could pass on an infection. With the lack of antiviral treatments, copper offers a measure that can help reduce the risk of these infections spreading."
Warnes, S. L. et al. Human coronavirus 229E remains infectious on common touch surface materials. mBio 10 November 2015
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