There’s been a lot of media about the fact Covid-19 lives for just 4 hours on copper versus 3 days on steel or plastic (1). But what does that really mean?
“Copper is antimicrobial. Meaning it can kill bacteria and viruses, sometimes within minutes” said a recent article which points to multiple studies (2) showing its effectiveness against germs-and many of them reported on this web site (3).
The biggest studies in the U.S. and U.K. have shown that surfaces either made of copper or copper alloy resist germ build up. “They’ve been proven to fight the spread of common infections like norovirus, MRSA, a staph bacteria that has become resistant to antibiotics, virulent strains of E. coli that cause food-borne illness, and coronaviruses—possibly including the novel strain currently causing the COVID-19 pandemic.”
If copper were more frequently used in hospitals, where 1 in 31 people get healthcare-acquired infections-HAIs-or in high-traffic areas like public transport it could play an invaluable role in public health, says Michael Schmidt, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the Medical University of South Carolina, who’s most recent studies on copper and health have been widely reported (4).
“On copper surfaces, bacteria and viruses die. When a microbe lands on a copper surface, the copper releases electrically charged particles called ions that blast through the outer membranes and destroy the whole cell, including the DNA or RNA inside. Because their DNA and RNA are destroyed, it also means a bacteria or virus can’t mutate and become resistant to the copper, or pass on genes (like for antibiotic resistance) to other microbes.”
Schmidt said that using copper along with standard hygiene protocols has been shown to reduce bacteria in health care settings by 90%.
A number of articles have recently asked why copper surfaces ain’t being used more broadly and especially in healthcare settings (5 & 6). It seems a complicated question that maybe resolves around its upfront cost compared to plastic: “There might also be a perception that copper is too expensive, Schmidt said, despite the fact that the numbers indicate it would ultimately save money.”
“Even when factoring in how much the copper cost initially, you’d make that money back in savings within two months, Schmidt said. And considering that the copper never loses its microbial killing abilities—hospitals would quickly be saving money (and lives).”
It’s effectiveness in helping to stop the spread of Covid-19 still remains to be seen or studied, but there’s already a bank of evidence that shows it has a fighting chance.
- https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2004973
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4561453/
- https://copper.com.au/news/antimicrobial-copper/
- https://copper.com.au/news/antimicrobial-copper/copper-hospital-beds-are-healthier/
- https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xgqkyw/copper-destroys-viruses-and-bacteria-why-isnt-it-everywhere
- https://www.fastcompany.com/90476550/copper-kills-coronavirus-why-arent-our-surfaces-covered-in-it?partner=rss
Detail on antimicrobial copper in the U.S: https://www.copperalloystewardship.com
