India claims to have developed anti-microbial coating that could kill Covid-19

A state-run scientific research institution of India claimed to have developed an anti-microbial coating that could kill a range of virus types including Covid-19 when applied on different surfaces such as textile and plastic.

The coating, developed by Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), has been found to completely kill influenza virus as well as resistant pathogenic bacteria and fungi, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and fluconazole-resistant C. albicans spp," India's science and technology ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

Microbial attachment and their colony formation on different surfaces play a major role in the transmission of deadly infections in the community as well as healthcare settings, it said, adding, "Keeping this in mind, an easy approach was developed to coat a wide range of substrates used in daily life as well as in clinical settings."

The research paper about the covalent coating has been accepted in the journal Applied Material and Interfaces, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

"….it is anticipated that the coating may inactivate SARS-CoV-2 upon contact and can help prevent contamination if coated on various surfaces," according to the statement.

Quoting researchers, the Indian ministry said, "Till date, to the best of our knowledge, there is no covalent coating strategy which can kill all viruses, bacteria and fungi."

The coating can be fabricated on a variety of surfaces and its ease and robustness eliminate the necessity of skilled personnel for procurement of the coating.