Ozone treatment effectively eliminates SARS-CoV-2 from infected face masks

Abstract

The current COVID-19 pandemic is causing profound health, economic, and social problems worldwide. The global shortage of medical and personal protective equipment (PPE) in specialized centers during the outbreak demonstrated the need for efficient methods to disinfect and recycle them in times of emergency. We have previously described that high ozone concentrations destroyed viral RNA in an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 strain within a few minutes. However, the efficient ozone dosages for active SARS-CoV-2 are still unknown. The present study aimed to evaluate the systematic effects of ozone exposure on face masks from hospitalized patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Face masks from COVID-19 patients were collected and treated with a clinical ozone generator at high ozone concentrations in small volumes for short periods. The study focused on SARS-CoV-2 gene detection (assessed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR)) and on the virus inactivation by in vitro studies. We assessed the effects of different high ozone concentrations and exposure times on decontamination efficiency. We showed that high ozone concentrations (10,000, 2,000, and 4,000 ppm) and short exposure times (10, 10, and 2 minutes, respectively), inactivated both the original strain and the B.1.1.7 strain of SARS-CoV-2 from 24 contaminated face masks from COVID-19 patients. The validation results showed that the best condition for SARS-CoV-2 inactivation was a treatment of 4,000 ppm of ozone for 2 minutes. Further studies are in progress to advance the potential applications of these findings.

Optimizing heat inactivation for SARS-CoV-2 at 95 °C and its implications: A standardized approach

“…However, the UV energy emitted should be even and consistent which requires a separate instrument to be installed in laboratory [ [1] , [2] , [3] , [4] ]. Although ozone is effective to inactivate SARS-CoV-2, optimum ozone concentration and exposure time have to be obtained [ 5 , 6 ]. On the other hand, detergent has to be removed after inactivation since it acts as PCR inhibitor [ 7 , 8 ].…”

AI‐Driven Design System for Fabrication of Inhalable Nanocatchers for Virus Capture and Neutralization

“…[5] Nevertheless, the virus present in the environment can still be transmitted via alternative mucosal tissues or in the absence of protective equipment, such as during meals and meetings. [6][7][8] Hence, the effective control of viral spread can be achieved if a technology capable of suppressing the virus in the environment and deactivating it prior to encountering the human body exists. However, current environmental disinfectants like alcohol and hypochlorous acid can only be utilized for surface or partial space disinfection, and they exhibit considerable side effects on the human body.…”