New Antiviral Coating that protects surfaces for 90days

Scientists at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have developed an antiviral coating, which could provide 90 days of significant protection against bacteria and viruses such as the one causing COVID-19.

The antimicrobial coating, known as MAP-1, took 10 years to be develop and can be sprayed on surfaces that are frequently used by the public, such as elevator buttons, handrails on the stairway, seats on the vehicles, doors etc. Adjunct Professor Joseph Kwan, one of the chief scientists in the team said the frequently touched surface could serve as a very effective medium for transmission of several diseases.

Prof. Kwan said the coating that forms after spraying has millions of Nano-Capsules containing disinfectants, which remain effective in killing bacteria, viruses and spores even after the coating has dried. Unlike common disinfecting methods such as diluted alcohol and bleach, heat-sensitive polymers that encapsulate and release disinfectants upon human contact further boost MAP-1, Kwan said.

The researchers say MAP-1 is non-toxic and safe for skin and the environment. Germagic, a unit of the university’s industrial partner, Chiaphua Industries Ltd., has made the coating available for commercial purchase; following some successful clinical tests in January 2020 at a Hong Kong hospital and a home for the elderly. The coating was approved for mass consumption in February 2020 and it is available now in the stores.

With help from a local charity, the non-toxic coating has already been sprayed around the homes of more than a thousand low-income families in the city of Hong Kong. Many shopping malls, schools and sport training facilities in the Hong Kong have also adopted the coating.

Hong Kong reported no new coronavirus cases on Sunday and Monday, keeping the total at 1,038 infections and 4 deaths. Health officials believe the MAP-1 antiviral coating has strengthened protection against the coronavirus and it will prevent a second wave if it arises.

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Published on May 1, 2020, 0420 EAT

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Ruzeki is a blogger at SHADOW WOKA NEWS  specializing in politics, internet culture and propaganda, as well as writing about climate change and other things science-related. He graduated from Jomo Kenyatta University with a degree in Mining Engineering, and he resides in Nairobi, Kenya.

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