But as tens of millions of people return to public transit, their workplaces and schools, are these interventions enough? Researchers are increasingly looking at the pandemic through the lens of engineering, devising ways to make indoor environments safer. AdvertisementHEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters -- technology that first came to market in the 1950s -- are used widely in hospitals, biocontainment labs and airplanes. Researchers at the University of Arizona recently proposed widespread use of coatings as a new line of defense against SARS-CoV-2. It does this by "denaturing" the virus's proteins -- effectively twisting them out of shape -- and attacking its protective layer of fat.

Source: Daily Nation July 17, 2020 03:00 UTC