In recent years, the number and aggressiveness of antibiotic-resistant super-strains of bacteria, viruses, and fungi has increased dramatically. Despite the development of medicine, spread of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus over the planet and the high mortality rate from COVID-19 has demonstrated the vulnerability of mankind to the threat of infections.
The consequences of the pandemic were especially severe in relation to retail, transport, services, hotel and restaurant business sectors - in all segments in which crowds are expected and direct contacts between people. All businesses have to monitor the cleanliness of air and any surfaces, as well as their timely disinfection.
An effective and safe way to protect yourself, your customers and employees during a pandemic from viruses
An insufficient level of disinfection leads to the spread of pathogenic microflora and increases the risk of infection. For the retail, service, and transportation sectors, customer concerns related to these risks are a serious challenge to the business.
Chlorine and alcohol-containing products are still the main means of disinfection against viruses. This means a strong unpleasant odor, harm to the health of the respiratory tract and mucous membranes, deterioration of health, especially with poor ventilation. There is an alternative, ultraviolet treatment, but it is expensive and time consuming.
Cold plasma is an innovative technology in the fight against multi-resistant viruses, bacteria, fungi, coronaviruses and pathogens as well.
Low temperature plasma protects against coronavirus
A group of scientists from the Max von Pettenkofer Institute in Munich, led by Albrecht von Brunn, in the course of research and initial tests for noroviruses and adenoviruses, together with specialists from Terraplasma Medical, concluded that cold plasma can destroy coronaviruses. The first results of applied research are expected by the end of 2020, but we can already say that cold plasma is a promising way to protect against coronavirus. The agent destroys viruses by destroying their lipid membrane; in coronavirus, it is exactly the same as in 99.9% of other microorganisms against which plasma is effective.
Treating rooms and surfaces with cold plasma can reduce the spread of the virus and protect people, including those who have already suffered from Covid-19. After all, the danger during a pandemic is not only SARS itself, but also other infections.
Roughly half of the deaths of people treated for coronavirus are not caused by the virus itself, but by additional infections that enter the lungs in the hospital. As with previous pandemics (eg SARS, MERS and H1N1), 30% to 55% of deaths were due to secondary bacterial pneumonia rather than the original pathogen.
Cold plasma can prevent the spread of superinfection, including coronaviruses, thereby protecting the immune system from attacks of any pathogens. The technology is already actively used in medicine to disinfect surfaces, tools and in treating patients (dermatology, dentistry, oncology, surgery).
The essence of technology
Cold plasma is an ionized gas with charged and neutral particles, molecules and radicals. Active particles destroy the lipid membrane of even antibiotic-resistant pathogens by penetrating into their DNA (in coronaviruses, these are lipids). At the same time, plasma is absolutely safe for human skin and mucous membranes.
Technology benefits: