Liverpool University granted £615,000 to develop a new antiviral coating for PPE

To protect healthcare workers from COVID-19, Liverpool University researchers have been granted six-hundred and fifteen thousand pounds from UKRI to develop a new antiviral coating for PPE.

The project intends to produce a new coating with antifouling and antiviral properties that can be quickly applied to PPE surfaces and will be led by Dr Raechelle D’Sa and supported by Dr Jenny Hanson.

COVID-19, which can survive on surfaces, is transmitted by sneezing, coughing or speaking, which generates large respiratory droplets. Research has found that a considerable level of viral load and the process of taking PPE on and off presents an increased risk of transmission, despite PPE hindering the transmission of COVID-19.

An expert in the design of antimicrobial materials and therapeutics, Dr Raechelle D’Sa, stated: “This project will use our expertise to produce an innovative new antiviral and antifouling coating which can be used on PPE to protect staff working in healthcare settings. This is a potential low-cost technology solution, that once proven, can be taken forward in a relatively short timescale to provide additional protection from COVID-19 to healthcare workers.”