Indian researchers claim to develop anti-microbial coating that can kill coronavirus

The Indian government has claimed that Indian scientists have developed a one-step curable anti-microbial coating which can kill a range of viruses including the coronavirus when coated on a different surface.

According to the group of scientists of The Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), "Till date, to the best of our knowledge, there is no covalent coating strategy which can kill all viruses, bacteria and fungi," reports The Tribune.

The research paper named "The Covalent Coating" which has been accepted by the renowned journal 'Applied Material and Interfaces' has claimed to find the coating to completely kill the influenza virus as well as resistant pathogenic bacteria and fungi, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and fluconazole-resistant C. Albicans.

Coronavirus, like influenza, is also an enveloped virus. Therefore, it is anticipated that the coating may inactivate SARS-CoV-2 upon contact and can help prevent contamination if coated on various surfaces, it added.

The coating was applied to different surfaces made with cotton, polyurethane, polypropylene, polystyrene etc which construct a majority of the objects we see around us. They found the molecules of the virus to be immobilised after evaluation, said the paper.

Considering the current outbreak, it can be coated on various personal protective tools such as masks, gloves and gowns in collaboration with the private organisations. As being the front runners, the health workers are in the riskiest position.