When the pandemic initially started, back when we thought fomite spread was a strong risk and we were all disinfecting our groceries, I did a whole bunch of research. The easiest passive anti-viral, anti-microbial, anti-fungal thing I could do was to have copper on high-touch surfaces. It kills a bunch of different nasties, some almost immediately, some over a few hours. Regardless of the time frame needed, however, having copper on high-touch surfaces would reduce the amount of disinfecting I’d need to do.
I did a whole bunch of research and ran into issues where stores would advertise something as copper-the-color instead of it being made of copper-the-metal. Even if it was made of copper-the-metal, it often had a coating on it that prevented the copper from working it’s magic.
I eventually found copper foil (like tin or aluminum foil, but copper), and that eventually lead me to copper tape. It’s copper foil with an adhesive on one side, and you can buy rolls that don’t have any coating on the exposed part.
The inside and outside knobs on the front and storm doors into the house, the downstairs bathroom, and the utility room (where we were disinfecting the groceries) have been covered with copper tape for years now, and it’s holding up well. We also lined the underside of the car door handles, where you lift-to-open.
The pandemic may have moved to an endemic phase, but I don’t see any reason to un-copper anything. It’s a really nice way of having an extra bit of passive protection in my life.
When the pandemic initially started, back when we thought fomite spread was a strong risk and we were all disinfecting our groceries, I did a whole bunch of research. The easiest passive anti-viral, anti-microbial, anti-fungal thing I could do was to have copper on high-touch surfaces. It kills a bunch of different nasties, some almost immediately, some over a few hours. Regardless of the time frame needed, however, having copper on high-touch surfaces would reduce the amount of disinfecting I’d need to do.
I did a whole bunch of research and ran into issues where stores would advertise something as copper-the-color instead of it being made of copper-the-metal. Even if it was made of copper-the-metal, it often had a coating on it that prevented the copper from working it’s magic.
I eventually found copper foil (like tin or aluminum foil, but copper), and that eventually lead me to copper tape. It’s copper foil with an adhesive on one side, and you can buy rolls that don’t have any coating on the exposed part.
The inside and outside knobs on the front and storm doors into the house, the downstairs bathroom, and the utility room (where we were disinfecting the groceries) have been covered with copper tape for years now, and it’s holding up well. We also lined the underside of the car door handles, where you lift-to-open.
The pandemic may have moved to an endemic phase, but I don’t see any reason to un-copper anything. It’s a really nice way of having an extra bit of passive protection in my life.
I hope you feel better soon.