There was clinical trial conducted by CODELCO, Chilean copper mining company, in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Prior to that, a study was conducted the CDA in the ICUs of three hospitals. The results of the US study showed that the infection rate was reduced by a statically significant 58% in the rooms where six copper components were installed, versus the typical rooms. The six copper components were the :
- Rail of the Patient's Bed
- I.V. Infusion Pole
- Over-the-Patient Bed Table
- Arms of the Visitor's Chair
- Nurse's Call Device
- Data Input Devices: Computer Mouse, Palm Rest on Laptop Computer or Palm Rest on Touch Screen
To view the paper, Salgado, et. al., Copper Surfaces Reduce the Rate of Healthcare Acquired Infections in the Intensive Care Unit, go to: www.amcopper/infections
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Harold Michels
Consultant, Formerly Senior Vice President, Copper Development Association
Retires from Copper Dev Assoc in 2014 & Inco Ltd. in 1998
Manhasset NY
(516) 627-5335
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-02-2021 01:09
From: Walter Sperko
Subject: EPA OFFICIALLY SAYS COPPER SURFACES HELP FIGHT COVID-19
I recall an article that I think CDA published years ago about a hospital in Chile (where they grow a lot of copper up in the Andes) where the beds, fixtures, tables, door handles -- pretty much everything was made from copper. That hospital had a cross-infection rate that was extremely low. Only the EPA, the FDA and the CDC would be reluctant to say that copper is a natural biocide, but at least we know that it kills the dreaded Covid-19!
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Walter Sperko
President
Sperko Engineering Services Incorporated
Greensboro NC
(336) 674-0600
Original Message:
Sent: 04-01-2021 18:29
From: Harold Michels
Subject: EPA OFFICIALLY SAYS COPPER SURFACES HELP FIGHT COVID-19
Cu versus Ag as Antimicrobial
In response to questions regarding antimicrobial efficacy copper vs silver, I will describe a figure and a table from a peer reviewed published paper in 2009 ( https://www.amcopper.com/copper-versus-silver). This paper compares the antimicrobial efficacy of two commercial silver-containing coatings versus six commercial copper alloys.
This paper discusses test results showing the effects of temperature and humidity on antimicrobial response of two commercial silver-containing coatings and six copper alloys, after methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a "Super Bug" that causes serious hospital-acquired infections was place on their surfaces.
The figure shows a 7 log (~10,000,000 times) reduction in reduction in live bacteria on a 99.9%Cu alloy in 80 minutes but no meaningful reduction in the two silver containing coatings at 400 minutes. Stainless steel (S304) served as the experimental control and also showed no meaningful reduction since it has no efficacy.
The table shows the log reductions observer on six copper alloys and one silver containing coating at temperatures of 35C and 20C and relative humidity levels of >90RH% and ~20RH to 22RH.
- at >90% RH and ~35C, both the silver and six copper alloys achieved a >6.4 log reduction
- at >90% RH and ~20C, the silver log reduction was =5.5, but the six copper alloys achieved >6.1 log reduction
- at >20% RH and ~35C, no log reduction (=0) was seen in the silver, while the six copper achieving >5.5 log reduction.
- at >20% RH and ~25C, <0.2 log reduction was seen in the silver, but a >5. 9 was observed in five copper alloys and >5.0 in one copper alloy.
The conclusion is that copper displays good antimicrobial efficacy under all humidity and temperature test conditions but silver only works at very high humidity levels, which are not typically found in indoor settings.
Harold T. Michels,
Consultant, Formerly Senior Vice President, Copper Development Association. Retired from Copper Dev Assoc in 2014 & Inco Ltd. in 1998.
Manhasset NY,
cu.microbes@gmail.com
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Harold Michels
Consultant, Formerly Senior Vice President, Copper Development Association
Retires from Copper Dev Assoc in 2014 & Inco Ltd. in 1998
Manhasset NY
(516) 627-5335
------------------------------