Suppressing SARS-CoV-2 transmission in public spaces through surface engineering

探索控制当前新型冠状病毒疫情的不同方法，对于重新开放社会和确保经济繁荣至关重要。虽然成功的疫苗将是阻止大流行的理想方式，但不能保证快速部署，而且可能在一段时间内不会发生。在缺乏疫苗的情况下，采取措施防止感染蔓延是一个重要的替代办法。除了空气传播外，通过表面，特别是公共场所的间接传播也可能在传播疾病方面发挥重要作用。我们建议开发和确定易于部署的表面材料和涂层的路线，这些材料和涂层可以通过使其失活来积极抑制和延缓病毒从感染者通过接触表面传播给他人。这可能会改变公共空间中“高流量”表面的游戏规则。我们将建立在现有的知识铜的抗病毒特性，并寻求优化它们。

The exploration of different ways in which the current Covid-19 pandemic can be kept controlled is crucial to enable reopening the society and ensure a flourishing economy. While a successful vaccine would be the ideal way to put a halt on the pandemic, a rapid deployment is not guaranteed, and may not happen for sometime. Short of a vaccine, measures that can prevent spreading the infection are an important alternative. Apart from airborne direct transmission, indirect transmission via surfaces, in particular in public spaces, can play an important role in spreading the disease. We propose the development and identification of routes for easy deployment of surface materials and coatings that can actively inhibit and retard the spread of the virus from an infected person to others via touch surfaces, by deactivating it. This would potentially be a game changer for "high-traffic" surfaces in public spaces. We will build on existing knowledge about the antiviral properties of copper, and seek to optimize them.