Highlights
- Antiviral nano-coating is non-toxic for humans
- It usually comprises copper-based nano particles along with polymers
- It makes PPEs and masks reusable without the fear of spreading the virus
New Delhi: The country will soon have antiviral, antimicrobial spray that can destroy viruses including coronavirus and also textiles that can help in making reusable personal protective equipment kits and masks. As the medical community is waging a battle to tackle the spread of the current pandemic and develop a cure for COVID-19, experts focus on preventative measures in order to curb the resurgence of the coronavirus and be better prepared to deal with the disease logistically. Researchers at Punjab University and Muse Wearables, an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras incubated start-up, have developed antiviral nano-coating spray and antiviral nano-coated textile respectively that is up to 99.99 per cent effective against bacteria, moulds and viruses.
What Is Anti-Viral Nano-Coating?
According to KLN Sai Prasanth, 30-year-old Chief Executive Officer, Conzumex Industries, which operates the Muse Wearables and an IIT-Madras alumni who studied nano-coating during his Masters, it is the process of coating a surface with particles as small as 1 nanometer to 100 nanometers. One nanometer is one-billionth of a meter and an antiviral nano-coating refers to coating a surface with nanoparticles of such substances that have antimicrobial and antiviral properties like metals such as copper, titanium and silver along with polymers. He said,
When you coat the surface with nanoparticles of an antimicrobial substance, this means that a large number of small particles are present in an area. Therefore, these particles being in very large numbers (in billions) are able to amplify their antimicrobial mechanisms which they are not able to do in large size. This implies that the capacity of the substance to destroy the virus is elevated to a great extent. So when a virus comes in contact with the antiviral coated surface it destroys the virus instead of becoming contagious. It is absolutely non-toxic for humans to use.
He further explained that the nanoparticles attract the RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) in the genes of the virus to come out of its cell and thus the virus gets killed. Muse Wearables is working on producing antiviral nano-coated textile material that can be used in manufacturing various items of use like personal protective gears, masks, uniforms and furniture covers among others.
Also Read: Unpredictable Effects Of Novel Coronavirus On Human Body Keep Doctors Baffled
How Can Antiviral Nano Coating Help In The Fight Against COVID-19?
Professor Surinder Kumar Mehta of the Department of Chemistry of Punjab University who has developed antiviral nano-coating spray using nano-copper particles and polymers said,
We have developed an affordable antimicrobial nano-coating spray for masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) kits for healthcare workers to prevent them from COVID-19 infection and from themselves becoming a virus carrier. It can be used by anyone, on any kind of surface. When the virus touches the surface, because of its interaction with the nano-particles it will automatically get destroyed and thus making the surface safe. This will allow reusability of masks/PPEs and easy containment of the microbes and thus keeping the healthcare staff protected while also addressing the issue of lack of adequate number of PPEs for our frontline workers.
He further said that it is washable and lasts for over 45 days because the polymer used in the spray makes the coating strong. Along with PPEs and masks, the spray can be used to frequently touched surfaces like doorknobs, door handles, car steering, staircase railings, spectacle, laptops, and phones, among others. Professor Mehta said,
The innovation is affordable as Copper is relatively inexpensive than silver and titanium. Thus, even the poor can reap the benefit of this technology at their homes and place of work. It can be sprayed/dip-coated onto any kind of surface including textiles and other medical device surfaces to get rid of microbial load.
Also Read: CSIR-NAL Develops Non-Invasive Ventilator To Treat COVID-19 Patients
When Will The Antiviral Textile And Nano-Coating Spray Become Available For Mass Use?
According to Professor Mehta the coating will be available for commercial purchase by the end of next month. He said that the formula developed by his team has been given to a start-up which is currently waiting for clinical tests, analyzing logistics and will soon start the mass production of the spray.
Muse Wearables, on the other hand, is also waiting for the end-point assessment on textiles using the SAR-CoV-2 virus itself which according to Prasanth can happen at only two places in the country- ICMR (Indian Council Of Medical Research) and NIV (National Institute of Virology), Pune. He said,
Academically everything is set and the process has been tested with a large number of viruses. We are waiting for our slot at the ICMR facility and soon after publishing the findings of the test with coronavirus, we may start selling the technology from June first week. We have already been approached by 60 companies, mostly textile. We have filed for two patents till now.
Considering the effectiveness of nano-coating technology, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) of the Union Ministry of Science and Technology has recently called for research in upscaling antiviral nano-coating for producing anti-COVID-19 Triple Layer Medical masks and N-95 respirator in large quantities.
By next month, there are two anti-viral nano-coated products that are likely to hit the market- an anti-viral nano-coating spray that can be used by anyone including the general public and manufacturers and anti-viral nano-coated textile that can be used by manufactures making PPEs, masks, uniforms, sheets and furniture covers among others. As Professor Mehta noted, doctors and nurses may soon be dressed to kill the virus.
Also Read: Fighting COVID19: Health Ministry To Conduct Population-Based Sero Survey In Select Districts
World
India
State & District Details
State | Cases | Active | Recovered | Deaths |
---|---|---|---|---|
DistrictCases Mumbai45,478 Thane13,660 Pune9,920 Mumbai Suburban5,363 Aurangabad1,974 Nashik1,575 Raigad1,462 Palghar1,421 Solapur1,291 Jalgaon1,039 Akola757 Nagpur692 Kolhapur646 Satara629 Ratnagiri350 Amravati291 Dhule228 Hingoli208 Jalna201 Ahmednagar190 Nanded176 Yavatmal150 Sangli145 Latur139 Osmanabad125 Sindhudurg114 Buldhana88 Parbhani78 gondia69 Beed54 Nandurbar42 Gadchiroli42 Bhandara41 Chandrapur32 Washim13 Wardha11 | 21,46,777 8,623 | 73,734 4,924 | 20,20,951 3,648 | 52,092 51 |
DistrictCases Kannur357 Kasaragod333 Palakkad224 Malappuram119 Kollam118 Thrissur106 Thiruvananthapuram104 Pathanamthitta98 Kozhikode90 Alappuzha76 Kottayam73 Ernakulam60 Idukki40 Wayanad36 | 10,56,149 3,792 | 50,803 876 | 10,01,164 4,650 | 4,182 18 |
DistrictCases Udupi1,176 Kalaburagi669 Yadgir538 Bengaluru Urban529 Raichur369 Mandya346 Belagavi337 Bidar219 Hassan205 Davangere204 Vijayapura201 Dakshina Kannada179 Chikkaballapura149 Mysuru107 Bagalkote103 Uttara Kannada95 Shivamogga67 Dharwad61 Ballari60 Gadag45 Bengaluru Rural40 Tumakuru36 Kolar29 Haveri24 Chikkamagaluru19 Chitradurga14 Koppal5 Kodagu4 Ramanagara3 Chamarajanagara0 | 9,50,730 523 | 5,657 137 | 9,32,747 380 | 12,326 6 |
DistrictCases Kurnool795 Krishna557 Guntur511 Anantapur428 East Godavari356 Chittoor319 Sri Potti Sriramulu Nell*296 Y.S.R.205 West Godavari199 Srikakulam183 Prakasam104 Visakhapatnam103 Vizianagaram23 | 8,89,799 118 | 667 32 | 8,81,963 86 | 7,169 |
DistrictCases Chennai23,324 Chengalpattu1,314 Thiruvallur774 Villupuram509 Kanchipuram503 Tiruvannamalai496 Cuddalore477 Ariyalur444 Tirunelveli433 Tuticorin333 Kallakurichi324 Madurai322 Salem258 Coimbatore188 Virudhunagar185 Dindigul175 Perambalur133 Ranipet133 Thanjavur130 Theni129 Tiruchirappalli119 Ramanathapuram119 Tiruppur116 Kanniyakumari110 Tenkasi103 Nagapattinam99 Karur88 Namakkal83 Erode75 Vellore71 Thiruvarur67 Pudukkottai53 Sivaganga46 Tirupathur45 Krishnagiri43 The Nilgiris17 Dharmapuri15 | 8,51,063 486 | 4,036 10 | 8,34,534 491 | 12,493 5 |
DistrictCases North West5,463 Central4,817 West4,768 New Delhi3,405 North3,059 East2,472 South East2,446 South West2,391 South2,329 North East1,914 Shahdara1,580 | 6,39,092 243 | 1,307 76 | 6,26,876 164 | 10,909 3 |
DistrictCases Gautam Buddha Nagar1,119 Agra933 Ghaziabad794 Meerut504 Lucknow386 Saharanpur298 Kanpur Nagar286 Moradabad252 Varanasi243 Hapur225 Aligarh215 Basti214 Amethi206 Rampur203 Jaunpur194 Firozabad190 Barabanki168 Gorakhpur166 Bulandshahr166 Siddharth Nagar159 Ghazipur159 Bijnor157 Deoria143 Azamgarh138 Sant Kabeer Nagar132 Mathura129 Ayodhya120 Muzaffarnagar117 Sambhal116 Sultanpur97 Ambedkar Nagar92 Maharajganj85 Amroha80 Rae Bareli78 Bahraich73 Kheri72 Kannauj69 Baghpat68 Kushi Nagar67 Bhadohi60 Ballia60 Gonda59 Etah52 Hardoi49 Balrampur49 Mau48 Mainpuri46 Etawah46 Hathras43 Unnao42 Jalaun41 Jhansi41 Shamli40 Chandauli38 Auraiya37 Farrukhabad36 Sitapur32 Prayagraj30 Banda27 Shahjahanpur25 Shravasti23 Budaun23 Mirzapur22 Bareilly17 Kasganj16 Pratapgarh15 Pilibhit15 Sonbhadra10 Kaushambi6 Kanpur Dehat4 Chitrakoot4 Lalitpur3 Hamirpur3 Mahoba3 Fatehpur3 | 6,03,427 77 | 2,146 38 | 5,92,556 115 | 8,725 |
DistrictCases Kolkata2,777 Howrah1,435 24 Paraganas North1,031 Hooghly604 24 Paraganas South281 Maldah235 Dinajpur Uttar216 Coochbehar210 Birbhum206 Medinipur West159 Medinipur East153 Nadia139 Purba Bardhaman130 Murshidabad125 Bankura116 Darjeeling97 Jalpaiguri88 Paschim Bardhaman70 Purulia66 Dinajpur Dakshin50 Alipurduar39 Kalimpong18 Jhargram9 | 5,74,926 210 | 3,333 10 | 5,61,327 217 | 10,266 3 |
DistrictCases Ganjam581 Jajapur322 Khordha238 Baleshwar190 Kendrapara164 Cuttack155 Bhadrak137 Balangir129 Puri103 Sundargarh102 Jagatsinghapur91 Nayagarh86 Mayurbhanj73 Nuapada69 Gajapati61 Dhenkanal36 Boudh34 Kendujhar34 Deogarh33 Kalahandi33 Sonepur29 Kandhamal28 Anugul26 Malkangiri20 Bargarh16 Koraput16 Sambalpur16 Jharsuguda8 Nabarangpur2 Rayagada2 | 3,37,104 86 | 670 30 | 3,34,519 56 | 1,915 |
DistrictCases Jaipur2,177 Jodhpur1,748 Udaipur724 Bharatpur563 Kota503 Nagaur500 Ajmer379 Dungarpur374 Pali352 Jhalawar329 Bhilwara250 Sikar231 Chittorgarh188 Tonk171 Jalore164 Rajsamand140 Sirohi130 Bikaner112 Banswara91 Alwar90 Churu81 Jhunjhunu64 Dausa61 Dholpur60 Baran59 Jaisalmer53 Barmer34 Hanumangarh31 SawaiMadhopur26 Karauli17 Pratapgarh14 Ganganagar8 Bundi5 | 3,20,180 102 | 1,254 23 | 3,16,139 78 | 2,787 1 |
DistrictCases Bilaspur100 Korba100 Mungeli87 Baloda Bazar85 Jashpur77 Janjgir-Champa56 Mahasamund54 Rajnandgaon52 Kabirdham52 Raigarh47 Raipur46 Balod41 Korea39 Durg31 Bemetara21 Kanker19 Balrampur17 Surguja14 Gariyaband10 Surajpur9 Dhamtari6 Bijapur2 Bastar2 Dantewada0 Kondagaon0 Narayanpur0 Sukma0 | 3,12,419 240 | 2,767 60 | 3,05,819 295 | 3,833 5 |
DistrictCases Hyderabad2,475 Ranga Reddy183 Suryapet87 Jagitial77 Nizamabad76 MedchalMalkajgiri75 Mancherial43 YadadriBhuvanagiri40 Jogulamba Gadwal40 Vikarabad40 Nalgonda33 Warangal Urban32 Mahabubnagar30 Sangareddy26 Khammam26 Adilabad22 Nirmal21 Karimnagar17 RajannaSircilla16 Medak11 Kamareddy11 Mahabubabad10 Jayashankar Bhupalapally9 Nagarkurnool8 Kumuram Bheem Asifabad8 Jangoan8 Siddipet7 Peddapalli5 Bhadradri Kothagudem5 Warangal Rural4 Mulugu3 Narayanpet3 Wanaparthy1 | 2,98,807 176 | 1,951 12 | 2,95,222 163 | 1,634 1 |
DistrictCases Gurugram2,950 Faridabad867 Sonipat404 Rohtak145 Palwal120 Jhajjar114 Karnal104 Hisar98 Ambala93 Panipat78 Nuh68 Bhiwani60 Rewari56 Kurukshetra55 Sirsa50 Kaithal48 Mahendragarh47 CharkiDadri43 Panchkula39 Fatehabad38 Jind38 Yamunanagar19 | 2,70,610 199 | 1,205 102 | 2,66,358 94 | 3,047 3 |
DistrictCases Ahmadabad17,125 Surat2,311 Vadodara1,555 Gandhinagar410 Mahesana159 Banas Kantha147 Bhavnagar146 Rajkot135 Arvalli134 Mahisagar125 Anand107 PanchMahals107 Patan105 SabarKantha101 Kachchh99 Kheda98 Jamnagar63 Bharuch56 Botad55 Surendranagar55 Valsad47 GirSomnath45 Dohad43 Chhotaudepur37 Naysari35 Junagadh31 Narmada25 DevbhumiDwarka22 Amreli16 Porbandar11 Tapi6 Dang5 Morbi4 | 2,69,482 451 | 2,258 122 | 2,62,815 328 | 4,409 1 |
DistrictCases Patna279 Bhagalpur266 Rohtas256 Khagaria253 Begusarai243 Madhubani199 Munger188 Jehanabad178 Katihar175 Darbhanga143 Samastipur139 Siwan139 PurbiChamparan138 Purnia135 Banka134 Buxar134 Nalanda123 Gopalganj123 Nawada122 Sheikhpura118 Gaya115 Kaimur (bhabua)105 Bhojpur103 Saran101 Muzaffarpur96 Saharsa88 Supaul87 Vaishali87 Madhepura82 Kishanganj75 Aurangabad75 Sitamarhi73 Lakhisarai72 Araria68 Pashchim Champaran57 Arwal52 Jamui47 Sheohar20 | 2,62,509 45 | 404 27 | 2,60,564 71 | 1,541 1 |
DistrictCases Indore3,839 Bhopal1,880 Ujjain799 Burhanpur351 Neemuch319 Jabalpur276 East Nimar266 Sagar228 Gwalior211 Khargone196 Dewas140 Dhar132 Mandsaur112 Morena109 Bhind87 Raisen71 Barwani60 Ratlam51 Rewa39 Shajapur39 Hoshangabad37 Vidisha37 Chhatarpur35 Betul35 Rajgarh31 Dindori29 Sheopur26 Damoh26 Satna24 Anuppur22 Panna20 Tikamgarh18 Sidhi17 Narsinghpur17 Chhindwara16 Agar Malwa15 Mandla15 Shivpuri15 Jhabua14 Shandol14 Singrauli13 Ashoknagar13 Datia12 Sehore12 Umaria10 Balaghat9 Guna8 Harda4 Alirajpur3 Katni3 Seoni2 Niwari0 | 2,61,403 390 | 2,666 148 | 2,54,874 241 | 3,863 1 |
DistrictCases Kamrup Metro276 Golaghat203 Nagaon143 Hojai89 Dima Hasao86 Karimganj85 Tinsukia84 Cachar80 Dibrugarh61 Hailakandi57 Lakhimpur57 Marigaon50 Dhemaji47 Kamrup42 Kokrajhar37 Dhubri30 Charaideo29 Barpeta28 Udalguri28 Sonitpur27 Jorhat24 Nalbari23 Darrang20 Sivasagar20 Goalpara19 Biswanath16 Baksa14 KarbiAnglong13 Bongaigaon12 Chirang6 West KarbiAnglong5 South SalmaraMancachar4 Majuli2 | 2,17,527 9 | 1,620 14 | 2,14,815 23 | 1,092 |
DistrictCases Amritsar485 Jalandhar297 Ludhiana293 Tarn Taran163 Gurdaspur154 Hoshiarpur140 S.A.S Nagar137 Patiala132 Sangrur107 Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr)99 Pathankot86 Rupnagar (Ropar)74 Faridkot74 Sri Muktsar Sahib71 Moga65 Bathinda60 Fatehgarh Sahib57 Fazilka53 Firozepur50 Kapurthala44 Mansa31 Barnala25 | 1,81,597 593 | 4,436 214 | 1,71,336 368 | 5,825 11 |
DistrictCases Anantnag395 Srinagar300 Kulgam295 Baramulla271 Shopian255 Kupwara231 Bandipora175 Udhampur155 Ramban151 Jammu138 Budgam110 Pulwama108 Kathua53 Rajouri39 Ganderbal37 Poonch35 Doda27 Reasi26 Samba25 Kishtwar10 Mirpur0 Muzaffarabad0 | 1,26,383 97 | 828 25 | 1,23,599 72 | 1,956 |
DistrictCases East Singhbum170 Ranchi148 Hazaribagh110 Garhwa80 Ramgarh75 Koderma58 Simdega48 Dhanbad32 Gumla28 Palamu27 West Singhbhum21 SaraikelaKharsawan20 Giridih19 Bokaro16 Latehar14 Khunti10 Lohardaga8 Deoghar5 Dumka5 Pakur4 Jamtara2 Godda2 Chatra1 Sahebganj0 | 1,19,905 42 | 492 0 | 1,18,325 41 | 1,088 1 |
DistrictCases Dehradun370 Nainital323 Tehri Garhwal110 Haridwar94 Udam Singh Nagar83 Almora71 Champawat45 Pithoragarh43 Chamoli36 PauriGarhwal36 Bageshwar31 Rudraprayag30 Uttar Kashi24 | 97,031 | 489 1 | 94,850 | 1,692 1 |
DistrictCases Hamirpur117 Kangra105 Una41 Solan32 Chamba29 Bilaspur21 Mandi21 Sirmaur11 Shimla10 Kullu4 Kinnaur2 Lahaul And Spiti0 | 58,598 55 | 292 31 | 57,311 24 | 995 |
DistrictCases South Goa69 North Goa57 | 54,932 61 | 598 11 | 53,540 50 | 794 |
DistrictCases Pondicherry111 Mahe4 Karaikal2 Yanam0 | 39,717 20 | 197 3 | 38,852 16 | 668 1 |
DistrictCases Dhalai196 Sepahijala174 Gomati74 South Tripura53 Unakoti49 West Tripura45 Khowai24 North Tripura14 | 33,417 10 | 41 9 | 32,985 1 | 391 |
DistrictCases Churachandpur32 Kangpokpi26 Imphal West21 Thoubal18 Imphal East10 Tengnoupal9 Bishnupur7 Senapati6 Chandel5 Kamjong5 Ukhrul4 Jiribam3 Pherzawl3 Kakching2 Tamenglong2 Noney1 | 29,271 11 | 44 7 | 28,854 4 | 373 |
DistrictCases Chandigarh313 | 21,719 60 | 357 35 | 21,011 25 | 351 |
DistrictCases Changlang31 Papum Pare8 Lohit3 Namsai2 West Siang1 East Siang1 Upper Siang1 Tawang1 PakkeKessang1 West Kameng0 Upper Subansiri0 Tirap0 Siang0 Shi Yomi0 Anjaw0 Lower Subansiri0 Lower Dibang Valley0 Longding0 Leparada0 KurungKumey0 KraDaadi0 Kamle0 East Kameng0 Dibang Valley0 Lower Siang0 | 16,836 | 3 0 | 16,777 | 56 |
DistrictCases East Khasi Hills22 West Garo Hills5 South West Garo Hills4 North Garo Hills1 West Jaintia Hills1 West Khasi Hills1 East Garo Hills0 East Jaintia Hills0 Ribhoi0 South Garo Hills0 South West Khasi Hills0 | 13,961 | 17 2 | 13,796 2 | 148 |
DistrictCases Dimapur20 Mon8 Kohima7 Kiphire3 Tuensang3 Peren2 Phek1 Longleng0 Mokokchung0 Wokha0 Zunheboto0 | 12,199 1 | 10 1 | 12,098 | 91 |
DistrictCases Kargil77 LehLadakh43 | 9,818 2 | 54 0 | 9,634 2 | 130 |
DistrictCases East District3 South District3 North District0 West District0 | 6,137 2 | 44 1 | 5,958 3 | 135 |
DistrictCases South Andamans33 Nicobars1 North And Middle Andaman1 | 5,018 1 | 4 1 | 4,952 | 62 |
DistrictCases Kolasib11 Aizawl10 Mamit8 Lawngtlai2 Lunglei2 Saitual1 Champhai0 Hnahthial0 Khawzawl0 Saiha0 Serchhip0 | 4,423 1 | 25 1 | 4,388 2 | 10 |
DistrictCases Dadra And Nagar Haveli20 | 3,406 | 4 0 | 3,400 | 2 |
DistrictCases Lakshadweep District0 | 359 26 | 98 18 | 260 8 | 1 |