Image Credit: papi8888/Shutterstock.com
Preventing the Transmission of COVID-19
As of the beginning of September 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that there have been over 890,000 confirmed deaths globally from Coronavirus. There have also been more than 27 million confirmed cases of the illness during the pandemic that has changed the face of the world since the beginning of the year.
Scientists understand that some groups, such as the elderly or those with underlying health conditions, are at a greater risk of dying from COVID-19. Those that have been infected with the virus and recovered or were asymptomatic may still be at risk of long-term health implications. Research has shown lasting complications endure in a significant percentage of patients. These complications linger long after the virus has left the body and include:
- Damage to the lungs in the form of pulmonary fibrosis
- Heart damage in the form of arrhythmias linked with myocarditis
- Kidney damage (e.g., acute kidney injury)
- Neurological symptoms such as dizziness and cognitive impairment
Due to the severe health implications of Covid-19, which is transmitted between people through respiratory droplets and contact routes, new solutions must be developed to prevent transmission of the disease. Keeping surfaces clean is a vital part of combatting Coronavirus.
The Birth of Antimicrobial and Antiviral Screen Protectors
Over the last few decades, screens have increasingly become part of our daily life. From smartphones to tablets, self-service checkouts to ATMs, we regularly come into contact with screens. Many are shared with others, making transmission of the disease more likely through indirect contact with others. To tackle this particular route of transmission, Kastus, an award-winning surface innovation company based in Ireland, has innovated a range of antimicrobial glass screen protectors.
Following the outbreak of the virus, the world has become more aware of the hygiene of shared touch surfaces. We are continually looking for ways to protect people from contracting Coronavirus from infected surfaces. Kastus has recently announced a range of commercial antimicrobial and antiviral screen protectors that are proven to be effective at blocking 99.9% of surface bacteria. Testing has shown its efficacy at protecting against COVID-19 infections on treated surfaces.
Find out more about coating testing equipment available on the market today.
The key to the innovation is the patented Kastus Antimicrobial & Antiviral surface coating technology. The coating technology is integrated into the tempered glass screen protectors and offers what Kastus calls “always on”, double protection technology for touchscreens.
Kastus has tested and proven its new technology to be effective against COVID-19 and common harmful strains of bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli.
Businesses will benefit from the new technology by being confident that they are being proactive against the transmission of Coronavirus between their staff and clients. Kastus designed the new antimicrobial glass screen protectors so that they are easy to fit onto existing devices, offering a simple solution to a severe health risk, and allowing businesses in a wide range of industries to feel confident reopening as restrictions are lifted.
Video Credit: Kastus Antimicrobial Technology/YouTube.com
The Importance of Device Hygiene
The internet is currently saturated with articles investigating methods to keep our phones, laptops, and devices clean and hygienic in light of the pandemic. However, there have not been innovative solutions available to address the issue of keeping our tech clean, especially those we share.
Prior to the launch of Kastus’s commercial antimicrobial and antiviral screen protectors, the most common method of keeping devices clean had been to wipe them with antibacterial wipes. However, this had its flaws, such as the impracticality of wiping down surfaces after each use, the unsuitability of antibacterial wipes for some surfaces due to potential damage to the technology, and the vulnerability of this method to human error (such as forgetting to wipe down the surface or not doing it thoroughly).
Read more: Acteev Protect™ Antimicrobial Polymers for the Deactivation of Viruses
The screen protectors developed by Kastus present a simple method of protecting people from the bacteria and viruses that can be transmitted via shared surfaces. It is believed that this technology will play an essential role in permanently enhancing hygiene standards across industries. Following the global pandemic, there are likely to be numerous significant shifts in the status quo, with hygiene being one of them. Changes such as using antimicrobial glass screen protectors are likely to be here for good as we move to a cleaner, safer society. Just like carrying face masks and hand sanitizer, antimicrobial screen protectors may be commonplace in the post-COVID-19 world.
References and Further Reading
Diao, B., Wang, C., Wang, R., Feng, Z., Tan, Y., Wang, H., Wang, C., Liu, L., Liu, Y., Liu, Y., Wang, G., Yuan, Z., Ren, L., Wu, Y. and Chen, Y., 2020. Human Kidney is a Target for Novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.04.20031120v4
Shi, S., Qin, M., Shen, B., Cai, Y., Liu, T., Yang, F., Gong, W., Liu, X., Liang, J., Zhao, Q., Huang, H., Yang, B. and Huang, C., 2020. Association of Cardiac Injury With Mortality in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. JAMA Cardiology, 5(7), p.802. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/2763524
Weekly Operational Update on COVID-19. World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports
Kastus® launches a new generation of antimicrobial and antiviral screen protectors proven to block surface bacteria and human Coronavirus. Kastus. Available at: https://www.kastus.com/
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the author expressed in their private capacity and do not necessarily represent the views of AZoM.com Limited T/A AZoNetwork the owner and operator of this website. This disclaimer forms part of the Terms and conditions of use of this website.