Broadly, two modes of transmission of COVID-19 exist — direct and indirect. While the direct mode can be prevented by maintaining social distancing, hand washing & sanitizers, and PPE such as masks, the indirect mode occurs through surfaces present within the immediate environment of an infected patient and objects used by the infected person. Disinfecting sprays and sanitizers are mostly effective for up to 24 hours. The good news is there are coatings, films and additives possessing antimicrobial properties that can be built into the parts and with effectiveness up to a year. These can protect both the user and the part. These indirect protection options can prevent not only the spread of COVID, but also a wider range of microbes such as bacteria, mold, fungi, mildew & other viruses. These antimicrobial additives can be inorganic such as silver, zinc & copper or organic such as Quat & Thiabendazole. The wide-ranging use cases for such indirect defenses are shown in the figure below. Centrally, it shows that the protection can be on surfaces, air, water or people. Those targets can be part of various settings - such as hospitals, community locations and transportation.
