C
Chris Smith
Guest
- Scientists discovered that cold plasma could inactivate the coronavirus on surfaces in just 30 seconds, with exposures of three minutes destroying the pathogen.
- Plasma is the fourth state of matter, in addition to solid, liquid, and gas, and forms naturally at the outer edges of the atmosphere.
- Researchers created a cold plasma gun that requires just 12W of power, operates at near-room temperature, and is safe for humans.
When we cough, sneeze, talk, and sing, we expel invisible saliva particles from our mouths, which can contain all sorts of pathogens, including the novel coronavirus. The bigger droplets travel for a limited distance on a ballistic pattern, as gravity pulls them down to the surface. It’s the smaller microdroplets that are the most dangerous. As the water evaporates rapidly, they can travel longer distances and take longer to clear from the air. That’s why droplets and aerosol transmission are the main risks for coronavirus, with health experts insisting on the former as the main avenue of COVID-19 spread.
But the droplets that land on surfaces are a theoretical threat. The virus is resilient enough to survive up to 28 days on certain materials, depending on the room temperature and lighting. Touching potentially contaminated surfaces and then touching your face is risky, as it can lead to infections. That’s where hand sanitizer and frequent hand washing come into play. Experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci warn against wiping down groceries, a habit many people formed during the early months of the pandemic. Focus instead on washing your hands.
Other scientists, however, have not stopped trying to figure out ways to kill the coronavirus everywhere around us, and a team from California has found a way to employ plasma to inactivate the virus in just 30 seconds. A 3-minute exposure is enough to kill SARS-CoV-2 on any material.
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Scientists use plasma to kill coronavirus on any surface originally appeared on BGR.com on Thu, 12 Nov 2020 at 22:15:24 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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