A University of Southampton microbiologist calls for a comprehensive coating of handles and handrails to combat the corona virus • "The virus survives for a maximum of 4 hours only"

• Public transport railing // Photo: Getty Images

William Kivill, a microbiologist at the University of Southampton, calls for a widespread move of coating door handles, writer wagon handles, stair railings and buses in a thin layer of copper as part of the corona virus fight. The senior researcher notes in an interview with The Times that "studies on the corona virus show that plastic and iron surfaces including steel and the corona virus survive for up to 72 hours.

"It is very worthwhile to expect all the handrails, door handles, weights in gyms and other places where many people touch a copper coating. Copper-coated bus rails have already been fitted in Poland, while airports in Chile and Brazil are coated with metal. Also, gyms in America - where bacteria are also found Others over the years - even covered weights and other copper equipment, "Kiwill adds. 

The reason for the copper coating is due to the fact that copper shows that it contains metallic ions that attack the envelopes of bacteria and viruses and in fact destroy the biological material that they have and even penetrate not only the virus itself but also its DNA.

The researcher who has been studying the properties of copper for two decades has been recommending "for restaurants, food machines, bars and public places to be coated with copper due to the special properties of this metal". It should be noted that in the past, researchers have already recommended copper hospital beds because of the amount of bacteria found on these beds.