Copper Kills Corona Virus
Copper kills many germs on contact
Read the full article as published US National health: http://mbio.asm.org/
​
One of the major ways we get sick is we touch surfaces out in the world, many made of metal or plastic. These surfaces are covered with germs. Germs live on poles on a train or bus. They are found on doorknobs and handles.
​
Bill Keevil is a microbiologist at Southampton University in Britain. He is investigating the properties of copper that kill germs -- or as researchers call them, pathogens.
In a study published in the journal mBio, Keevil and his team found that copper surfaces can quickly kill the coronavirus 229E.
​
The coronavirus 229E is also closely related to the pathogen that causes SARS and MERS.
​
Keevil explains that copper ions -- electrically charged molecules -- kill dangerous viruses by destroying their genetic material. Copper ions do this by interacting with oxygen and changing the oxygen molecules. As a result, the virus cells cannot mutate.
​
"Now these ions are able to punch holes in the cell's membrane, enter the cell and destroy their nucleic acid. So they are completely killed. There's no chance of mutation leading to resistance, and there's no coming back. So the chemistry is fantastic."
​
Keevil notes that ancient civilizations knew about the germ-killing properties of copper. However, they may not have understood the science behind it.
​
Researchers at the U.S. National Institutes of Health wrote on their website about the oldest recorded medical use of copper.
​
Ancient Egyptians knew many things including the germ-killing power of copper. This is a Pharonic-era mural inside the tomb of a king in Luxor, Egypt, Nov. 2015.
They say its use is noted in an Egyptian medical book written about 4,000 years ago.
The book describes how they used copper to sterilize wounds and drinking water.
Thousands of years ago, Egyptians used it to sterilize drinking water. Ancient Romans, Aztecs and Greeks also used it for medical treatments.
