BDI-International Magazine - Issue-4-Yumpu

surfaces. However, when introduced to
copper surfaces in a similar controlled
laboratory environment, the coronavirus
did not have the ability to survive for
more than a few hours.
The caveat to these findings is that
researchers have found that fomite
transmission (touching a contaminated
surface) is not the main way that the
virus spreads – inhalation is by far the
most common.
Just How Useful Are Copper Masks?
Here is some quick food for thought:
What logical conclusion can we reach
if we see that researchers and medical
experts, who are conducting research
on COVID-19 and copper, aren’t going
out of their way to recommend copper
masks, face coverings, and nose cleaners
to their family members and friends?
Most face coverings and masks (i.e.
surgical masks, cloth masks, etc.) aren’t
airtight and so they aren’t going to make
you invulnerable to infection. However,
if someone is infected, wearing a mask
is a highly effective way they can protect
other people from their virus-filled
droplets that are expelled through
talking, sneezing, and coughing.
Medical experts are putting quite a lot
of time and effort into figuring out just
how effective copper masks and face
covering could be in the fight against
coronavirus. One of the most recent
findings that prompted this interest in
the relationship between copper face
coverings and coronavirus, was a 2010
study that was focused on the influenza
virus. Specifically, this study highlighted
the effectiveness of “anti-influenza
copper oxide containing respiratory
face mask”. However, the conclusion
to this 2010 study was that the metal
only served to limit the overall amount
of active influenza virus that remained
over time on contaminated masks.
This is an important fact that needs to
be emphasized and health experts have
been reiterating it nonstop during the
ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. There
is no virus that comes into contact and
immediately vanishes. Remember, as
was said before, researchers found that
coronavirus was able to survive on
copper surfaces for several hours (in
a controlled laboratory environment).
In fact, research has shown that it can
take approximately 45 minutes for the
amount of virus to be reduced by half
when it comes in contact with copper.
Also, quite possibly the most important
factors that need to be considered are
the design and quality of the masks and
face coverings that these companies are
marketing to the public. The sad truth is
that most of the manufacturers that are
offering copper-infused masks are not
using nearly enough of the metal for it
to have a noticeable enough effect on the
virus. There is also the fact that the most
ideal place for the most ideal place for
the metal would be on the outer surface
of the mask, this is where it would have
the greatest effect.
Copper is Still Important in The Fight
Against the Virus
Copper may not be the cure or the
invulnerable shield that many are
hoping it could be, but almost all
medical experts agree that the metal
has a significant role to play in the war
against the virus.
Already, copper-based surfaces that
have been installed in hospital have
yielded optimistic results in hindering
the transmission of certain pathogens.
Last but not least, medical experts are
not wholeheartedly decrying the use
of copper masks (and other copper
products). They are just advising people
to temper their expectations and be on
the lookout for the overabundance of
snake oil that is out there.
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