An Estonian company has launched the production of natural copper coating, claiming it destroys viruses and bacteria on the surface in two hours and the novel coronavirus pathogens “in as soon as five minutes”.
The company, named Metroprint Systems, named its product Copper Shield and it is already being used at a hardware store in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, where it was applied on shopping carts, baskets and door handles.
According to the company, Copper Shield is based on the metal’s own antimicrobial properties. “Copper has been used for centuries in various walks of life, including medicine and the production of fast circulating coins,” the company said, adding that at the same time, the antibacterial and microbial properties of copper are still not sufficiently used in everyday life.
“We just assumed that everything new was actually well-forgotten old. According to various studies, the most common viruses and influenza persist on stainless steel surfaces for two to three days, while the copper surface begins to kill bacteria and viruses immediately after contact,” Peeter Poom, the head of Metroprint Systems, said in a statement.
Possible to cover almost all frequently touched surfaces
“Within a few hours, 99.9% of bacteria and virus particles are destroyed and a research by US Synergy Diagnostic Laboratory for example proved, that SARS-CoV-2, causing COVID-19, was destroyed even in five minutes in laboratory tests. It is an antimicrobial metal which does not contain any additional chemicals. Stainless steel, when used frequently, is covered by many times more bacteria and viruses.”
Copper Shield can cover almost all frequently touched surfaces, such as cart handles, handrails, door handles and switches, Poom added. “At the same time, the destructive effect on bacteria and viruses is maintained for a long time, we give a five-year guarantee for actively used surfaces.”
According to the company, the self-adhesive product is thin, less than one millimetre thick, making it easy to bend and install on various handles or tubular surfaces. The coating is based on 99.9% natural copper and is recyclable.
Metroprint Systems is an Estonian printing company founded in 2000.
Cover: Copper Shield is being used at a hardware store in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, where it was applied on shopping carts, baskets and door handles. Photos by Copper Shield.
