Copper as an antibacterial material in different facilities

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Findings:

The efficiency of copper as an antimicrobial material has been noted in laboratory studies and in the hospital environment. The present study further shows that copper exerted an antibacterial effect in different facilities, i.e. in a hospital, a kindergarten, an office building and in a retirement home for the elderly. The study suggests that copper has potential use as an antibacterial material and therefore might serve as a means to lower the incidence of transmission of infectious agents from inanimate surfaces in different facilities, with everyday functions.

Society for Applied Microbiology

Antimicrobial Properties of Selected Copper Alloys on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in Different Simulations of Environmental Conditions: With vs. without Organic Contamination

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Findings:

This study confirmed the bactericidal or bacteriostatic properties of the copper alloys tested, in both variants of the experiment: with vs. without organic contamination. The use in hospitals of equipment made of copper alloys should help to prevent the spread of pathogenic micro-organisms

PubMed Link ( Full-text )

Using copper to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses

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Findings:

Inactivation of coronavirus on copper and copper alloy surfaces results in fragmentation of the viral genome, ensuring that inactivation is irreversible. This suggests that both ionic species of copper are required directly and/or indirectly for virus inactivation and that Cu(I) may be more significant in the longer term. Brasses containing at least 70% copper were very effective at inactivating HuCoV-229E , and the rate of inactivation was directly proportional to the percentage of copper

ScienceDaily Link

Inactivation of Norovirus on Dry Copper Alloy Surfaces

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Findings:

An inoculum of 5×104 pfu MNV applied to copper, and high copper content alloy. No infectious virus was evident after 30 minutes on copper and 60 minutes on copper nickel but there was no reduction of infectivity on stainless steel dry surfaces in simulated wet fomite and dry touch contamination. The highest rate of MNV inactivation on copper surfaces occurs upon immediate contact. The rate of inactivation was approximately proportional to copper content

PLOS ONE Link