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
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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