All About Coronavirus: Can Copper Help!?

According to the New York Times, China’s Health Commission reported 361 deaths nationwide due to the 2019-nCoV outbreak as of Feb 2, 2020, which is a type of Coronavirus. The Coronavirus outbreak is very serious. It’s not just China’s problem anymore; it has captured the world’s attention. The Coronavirus is detected in other countries prompting the Chinese government to quarantine, Wuhan, the world’s seventh-largest city. The virus spreads via aerosol and direct contact. The latest reports also indicate that the ocular route is a key mechanism for infection. This has sparked new interest in copper-infused clothing, which has shown promising results in killing the virus.

What is Coronavirus?

Coronavirus belongs to a large family of viruses found in both animals and humans. This virus is known to infect people to cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe ones such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

What is the 2019 Novel Coronavirus?

The 2019 Novel Coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV, is a new strain of the Coronavirus that causes severe respiratory diseases and was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, in December 2019.

What are the common symptoms of Coronavirus?

Coronavirus can cause mild symptoms, such as sore throat, runny nose, fever, and cough. It can be severe or even fatal in some people, leading to pneumonia, difficulty in breathing, and death.

Who is at risk for Coronavirus infections?

While there is much to learn about how Coronavirus affects people, the following appear to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus:

• Older people
• People with pre-existing medical conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes.
• People living or travelling in an area where the Coronavirus is circulating
• People who have recently travelled from abroad or who have been in close contact with those travellers.
• Health workers who are responsible for taking care of people who are infected with Coronavirus.

How are Coronavirus infections diagnosed?

Doctors analyse the patient’s respiratory specimens and the serum isolated from the blood to test for Coronavirus infections. Although diagnostic tests for the novel Coronavirus are being developed, its accuracy and specificity for the virus are not yet verified. Once that’s confirmed, these diagnostic kits will be available in the healthcare facilities worldwide.

What are the treatments for Coronavirus infections? Can Coronavirus infections be prevented?

There is no specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat Coronavirus. However, people infected should receive optimised supportive care to relieve and treat symptoms. 

How to protect yourself from getting infected with the Coronavirus?

• Wash your hands with soap and water often, or use an alcohol-based hand rub to eliminate the virus if it is present on your hands.
• Maintain social distancing of at least 3 feet or 1 metre between yourself and other people, especially from the ones with cold symptoms. A person infected with Coronavirus can project small droplets of the virus when they sneeze or cough, and if you are too close, you can easily breathe in the virus.
• If you have a cough, fever, and difficulty in breathing, seek medical help immediately. Let your healthcare know if you have travelled from abroad or have been in close contact with someone who is from abroad or has been to abroad and is suffering from respiratory symptoms. It’s essential to get prompt medical attention if you have respiratory symptoms.
• Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth. Your hands touch many things or surfaces that can be contaminated with the virus. If the contaminated hands touch your eyes, mouth, or nose, the virus can be easily transmitted into your system. In order to prevent the transmission of coronavirus, one could wear copper-infused gloves or copper-infused masks.

Can copper-fabrics destroy viruses?

Copper has been known for its anti-microbial powers for more than a century. Now, technology allows the metal to be woven into fabrics. In many published medical journals, it has been shown and proven that copper fabrics can and do destroy HIV-1 (virus) by more than 99.9% in only 20 minutes, Cytomegalovirus (CMV) by 99.9% in only 20 minutes, 99.9% of aerosol viruses such as Influenza (H1N1 / H9N2) as well being known to destroy Coronavirus.

It can, says a study conducted by Dr. Brill and Dr. Steinmann

Copper Clothing Limited, in 2014, funded research to test the effectiveness of virucidal activity of the copper fabric on bovine Coronavirus immediately after the MERS (the MERS coronavirus) deaths in the Middle East. The test was conducted by an independent specialised virology lab in Germany. The virucidal activity of the copper material was evaluated and compared against the virucidal activity of the non-copper material. The study found that copper-infused fabric can effectively fight the virus and destroy it. Please Note: this test was against the human surrogate of Coronavirus (part of the Coronavirus family of viruses). It has not yet been tested specifically against the COVID-19 strain of the Coronavirus family. Key thought leaders in the scientific world are appealing for the use of Copper to be the future of preventative care.