Development of antiviral surfaces to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19

2020年3月，新型人类冠状病毒病COVID-19被宣布为大流行。截至2020年5月21日，世界卫生组织报告了全球480多万例确诊病例，其中32.3万例死亡。仅在加拿大，确诊的感染人数和死亡人数就分别超过8万和6 000人。除了死亡率和发病率上升外，这一流行病还在全世界造成了重大的社会和经济混乱。本研究的重点是开发热喷涂本征抗病毒涂层，以减轻SARS-CoV-2病毒的间接传播。这些涂料可以应用于各种公共和服务部门（如医院、学校和交通系统）的触摸表面，如扶手、门把手、电梯按钮、自动取款机和生物医学设备。另一个重要的目标应用是用于建筑物，飞机和其他运输工具的通风系统中的空气净化。利用热喷涂技术，一种以其通用性，可扩展性和成本效益而闻名的技术，我们打算用TiO2， Cu2O和TiO2/Cu2O等材料开发抗病毒涂层。这些材料在暴露于紫外线、可见光，甚至在黑暗中，都显示出杀灭病毒和抗病原体的能力。这可以提供一种基于高效、低成本和环保技术的创新方法来抑制病毒感染的传播，更具体地说，是抑制COVID-19疾病的传播。

In March 2020, the new human coronavirus disease COVID-19 was declared pandemic. As of May 21, 2020, the World Health Organization has reported over 4.8 million confirmed cases, including over 323,000 deaths worldwide. Only in Canada, the number of confirmed infections and deaths have reached over 80,000 and 6,000, respectively. Apart from the elevated rates of death and illness, this pandemic has caused major social and economic disruption throughout the world. This proposal is focused on development of thermally sprayed intrinsic antiviral coatings in order to mitigate the indirect transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus. These coatings can be applied on touch surfaces such as the handrails, doorknobs, elevator buttons, ATM machines, and biomedical appliances in various public and service departments such as hospitals, schools, and the transport system. Another important targeted application is for air purification in the ventilation systems used in buildings, airplanes and other means of transport. Using thermal spray, a technology known for its versatility, scalability and cost-effectiveness, we intend to develop antiviral coatings with materials such as TiO2, Cu2O, and TiO2/Cu2O. These materials have shown promise for their virus killing and anti-pathogen properties when exposed to UV light, visible light, and even in the dark. This could provide an innovative approach to inhibit the spread of viral infections, and more specifically the COVID-19 disease, based on a highly efficient, low-cost and environmentally friendly technology.