Benefits of a Continuously Active Disinfectant Against Coronavirus 229E

One of the largest potential sources of virus transmission in a healthcare setting stems from contaminated hospital room environment surfaces and noncritical medical devices. During a pandemic, like that of the currently ongoing COVID-19 one, these sources of transmission require continuous disinfecting.

There are now technologies which are able to provide continuous decontamination between periods of manual cleaning and disinfection. These technologies have the potential to reduce transmission risk and aid in reducing cases.

Investigators from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, in collaboration with the University of Arizona, have recently conducted a study which sought to evaluate a continuously active disinfectant (CAD) that is registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to kill microbes (including viruses) on surfaces for >24 hours.

The data was presented at the 2021 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology conference virtual sessions.

For the study, the team of investigators analyzed the CAD against the human coronavirus 229E, using the EPA “Protocol for Residual Self-Sanitizing Activity of Dried Chemical Residuals on Hard, Non-Porous Surfaces”.

The method simulates contact by incorporating “wear” of the test surface as well as re-inoculations of the test and control surfaces over a period of at least 24 hours.

The surfaces which were tested were inoculated with ≥5-log10 per carrier and then were treated with a novel disinfectant. They were then allowed to dry, after which they were abraded using a standardized abrasion machine under multiple alternating wet and dry wiping interspersed with 6 re-inoculations with ≥3.75-log10 of the test pathogen.

After a period of 24 or 48 hours, a final reinoculation occurred with ≥5-log10 and the CAD’s ability to kill >99.9% of the pathogen with 1- or 5-minute contact times was measured on glass.

Findings from the study demonstrated that the CAD had sustained antiviral activity against the coronavirus 229E with the with 1- and 5-minute contact times after 24 and 48 hours.

The authors wrote “Based on our data using 229E, CAD may reduce or eliminate the role of contaminated environmental surfaces and noncritical equipment in transmission of SARS-CoV-2."