Catching and killing of airborne SARS-CoV-2 to control spread of COVID-19 by a heated air disinfection system

Highlights

• A heated air disinfection system was fabricated based on commercial Ni foams.

• The Ni-foam–based filters showed ~100% ability for catching and killing of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

• The air disinfection system is significant to control spread of coronavirus disease-2019.

Abstract

Airborne transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) via air-conditioning systems poses a significant threat for the continued escalation of the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Considering that SARS-CoV-2 cannot tolerate temperatures above 70 °C, here we designed and fabricated efficient filters based on heated nickel (Ni) foam to catch and kill SARS-CoV-2. Virus test results revealed that 99.8% of the aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 was caught and killed by a single pass through a novel Ni-foam–based filter when heated up to 200 °C. In addition, the same filter was also used to catch and kill 99.9% of Bacillus anthracis, an airborne spore. This study paves the way for preventing transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other highly infectious airborne agents in closed environments.