Weird Viral Science

Scientists at the University of Southampton have determined that surfaces composed of 60% or more copper kill the norovirus, the highly contageous cause of many outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness. See the university's news release describing their findings, which include:

Copper alloys have previously been shown to be effective antimicrobial surfaces against a range of bacteria and fungi. The Southampton research reported rapid inactivation of murine norovirus on alloys, containing over 60 per cent copper, at room temperature but no reduction of infectivity on stainless steel dry surfaces.

The DrsC have spent many months aboard cruise ships and have encountered several outbreaks of "noro." Such ships normally quarantine sick passengers to their cabins for the 24-36 hours that the disease is active.

I'd like to see cruise ships utilize copper alloys in often touched surfaces: elevator buttons, door handles, stair rails, faucet and toilet handles, and perhaps the ladles used in buffet food lines. What we today call norovirus was called "24 hour stomach flu" when I was a youngster.