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Copper Kills the Corona Virus?

PostPosted: Thu Mar 26, 2020 1:36 am
by theo
Interesting story, but I thought silver was more effective at killing bacteria and possibly viruses.


https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medica ... r-BB11fIph

[i]Now Keevil believes it’s time to bring copper back in public spaces, and hospitals in particular. In the face of an unavoidable future full of global pandemics, we should be using copper in healthcare, public transit, and even our homes. And while it’s too late to stop COVID-19, it’s not too early to think about our next pandemic.
The benefits of copper, quantified

We should have seen it coming, and in reality, someone did.

In 1983, medical researcher Phyllis J. Kuhn wrote the first critique of the disappearance of copper she’d noticed in hospitals. During a training exercise on hygiene at Hamot Medical center in Pittsburgh, students swabbed various surfaces around the hospital, including toilets bowls and door knobs. She noticed the toilets were clean of microbes, while some of the fixtures were particularly dirty and grew dangerous bacteria when allowed to multiply on agar plates.

“Sleek and shining stainless steel doorknobs and push plates look reassuringly clean on a hospital door. By contrast, doorknobs and push plates of tarnished brass look dirty and contaminating,” she wrote at the time. “But even when tarnished, brass—an alloy typically of 67% copper and 33% zinc—[kills bacteria], while stainless steel—about 88% iron and 12% chromium—does little to impede bacterial growth.”

Ultimately, she wrapped her paper up with a simple enough conclusion for the entire healthcare system to follow. “If your hospital is being renovated, try to retain old brass hardware or have it repeated; if you have stainless steel hardware, make certain that it is disinfected daily, especially in critical-care areas.”
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Re: Copper Kills the Corona Virus?

PostPosted: Thu Mar 26, 2020 2:38 am
by Recyclersteve
I read this right as I was about to sink a stainless steel fork into my late night dinner. :)

Re: Copper Kills the Corona Virus?

PostPosted: Thu Mar 26, 2020 5:50 am
by 68Camaro
Yep the coinage of the ages - copper and silver - are both antibacterial.

Re: Copper Kills the Corona Virus?

PostPosted: Thu Mar 26, 2020 9:53 pm
by Morsecode
I stopped at a convenience store for milk today and the "Take-a-Penny" tray on the counter was overflowing with coins. Mostly cents, but all denoms were in there. Nobody wants to take their change.

Clerk said one guy gave her two twentys for $35 gas and grocery and left.

Re: Copper Kills the Corona Virus?

PostPosted: Fri Mar 27, 2020 2:07 am
by Recyclersteve
Morsecode wrote:I stopped at a convenience store for milk today and the "Take-a-Penny" tray on the counter was overflowing with coins. Mostly cents, but all denoms were in there. Nobody wants to take their change.

Clerk said one guy gave her two twentys for $35 gas and grocery and left.


That is simply too panicky IMHO.

Re: Copper Kills the Corona Virus?

PostPosted: Tue Aug 04, 2020 6:52 pm
by thecrazyone
I am still picking up change. When people think I'm being crazy, I am sure to tell them that I also have coins in my collection from when the 1918 Spanish Flu was here. Like the Bible says, "This too shall pass".

Re: Copper Kills the Corona Virus?

PostPosted: Mon Aug 10, 2020 3:42 am
by Recyclersteve
thecrazyone wrote:I am still picking up change. When people think I'm being crazy, I am sure to tell them that I also have coins in my collection from when the 1918 Spanish Flu was here. Like the Bible says, "This too shall pass".


Excellent point!