Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is a novel virus that was discovered to be the cause of a large and rapidly spreading outbreak of respiratory disease, including potentially fatal pneumonia. The disease began in Wuhan, China in January 2020, and has grown to a pandemic and global crisis. The virus was provisionally designated 2019-nCoV and later given the official name SARS-CoV-2.

SARS-CoV-2 is a delicate but highly contagious virus that primarily spreads from person to person. It also spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and droplets land on surfaces or objects. Someone who touches the surface and then touches their nose, mouth or eyes can pick up the virus.

Although viruses don’t grow on non-living surfaces, recent studies show that the coronavirus can remain viable or infectious on metal, glass, wood, fabrics and plastic surfaces for several hours to days, irrespective of the surface looking dirty or clean. The virus is relatively easy to destroy, using simple disinfectants like ethanol (62-71%), hydrogen peroxide (0.5%) or sodium hypochlorite (0.1%) by breaking the delicate envelope that surrounds the tiny microbe. However, it is practically impossible to sanitize surfaces all the time, and disinfection doesn’t guarantee that the surface won’t get contaminated again.

Our research goal was to create a surface coating with relatively low surface energy that can repel the spike glycoprotein that anchors to surfaces, and to use active chemicals to make the spike glycoprotein and viral nucleotides inactive. We have developed advanced, anti-microbial (anti-viral and bactericidal) NANOVA HYGIENE+™, which reduces the risk of microbial contamination virtually for all surfaces, including metal, glass, wood, fabrics and plastics by the principle of repelling microbes, offering a non-stick surface to pathogens and self-sanitizing for 90 days. The technology developed is effective and certified against SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19.

How it Works

Our technology works on the surface contact mechanism, meaning that as soon as any germs come in contact with the coated surface it starts deactivating the pathogens. It has been created with the combination of silver nanoparticles (as virocidal) and non-migratory quantrany ­ammonium salt disinfectant (as virostatic). These are extremely effective in the inactivation of the enveloped RNA virus and bacterial DNA genome. The coating has been tested against the human coronavirus (229E) (a type Alpha coronavirus) at Nelson Lab, USA; the bovine coronavirus (S379) (A type Beta coronavirus 1) from Eurofin, Italy; and MS2, a RNA virus, a surrogate virus in place of Picoma viruses such as Poliovirus and human norovirus from the accredited NABL lab in India. Products show efficacy of  >99% while tested as per global standards  ISO, JIS, EN and AATCC (Figure 1).  Further, the product has been tested for its nontoxic properties as per the global standard Nontoxic Acute Dermal Skin Irritation Report (OECD 404) from the FDA-approved lab APT research Centre, Pune, India, and per the global leaching test for food contact US FDA 175.300 from CFTRI, Mysore, India. These test results confirm that the product is nontoxic and safe to use.

We have applied to patent this technology with application no. 202021020915. The working model of the NANOVA HYGIENE+ technology is as follows:

1. As the microbes come in contact with the coating, AgNPs inhibit the replication of virus nucleotides, the main mechanism of its being virulent. It binds to electron donor groups such as sulphur, oxygen and nitrogen commonly found in enzymes within the microbe. This causes the enzymes to be denatured, thus effectively incapacitating the energy source of the cell. The microbe will quickly die.

2. The cationic silver (Ag+) or QUATs works to inactivate the human coronavirus by interacting with its surface (spike) protein, S, based on its charge like it works in HIV, hepatitis viruses, etc. (Figure 2).

The technology achieved success and recommendation from many elite organizations and scientists. NANOVA HYGIENE+ shows complete disablement of various pathogenic bacteria already, and on the basis of available scientific reports, we are of the opinion that the present formula should work against a broad spectrum of viruses as well.

The technology’s application on different surfaces can stop the secondary spread from various surfaces to living cells through touch. The self-protecting nano coating works for all surfaces like fabric (masks, gloves, doctor coats, curtains, bed sheets), metal (lifts, doors handles, nobs, railings, public transport), wood (furniture, floors, partition panels), concrete (hospitals, clinics and isolation wards), plastics (switches, kitchen and home appliances) and potentially could save many lives. 

Test reports are available. For more information, visit www.nanovacarecoat.com or e-mail info@nsccindia.com.