Zinc-embedded fabrics inactivate SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A virus.

Infections with respiratory viruses can spread via liquid droplets and aerosols, and cause diseases such as influenza and COVID-19. Face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) can act as barriers that prevent the spread of respiratory droplets containing these viruses. However, influenza A viruses and coronaviruses are stable for hours on various materials, which makes frequent and correct disposal of these PPE important. Metal ions embedded into PPE may inactivate respiratory viruses, but confounding factors such as absorption of viruses make measuring and optimizing the inactivation characteristics difficult. Here we used polyamide 6.6 (PA66) fibers that had zinc ions embedded during the polymerisation process and systematically investigated if these fibers can absorb and inactivate pandemic SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A virus H1N1. We find that these viruses are readily absorbed by PA66 fabrics and inactivated by zinc ions embedded into this fabric. The inactivation rate (pfu·gram -1 ·min -1 ) exceeds the number of active virus particles expelled by a cough and supports a wide range of viral loads. Overall, these results provide new insight into the development of "pathogen-free" PPE and better protection against RNA virus spread. Importance Face masks and other PPE can reduce risk of spreading or getting infected with respiratory viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. However, respiratory viruses can remain infectious in or on the outside of PPE for hours. We therefore explored if respiratory viruses can be inactivated via a mechanism involving absorption of droplets and inactivation of the virus on the surface and within the bulk of a fabric. To do this, we used fabrics constructed from polymers that maintain a moisture balance and contain embedded zinc ions within their matrix to inactivate human respiratory viruses. After addition of influenza A virus and SARS-CoV-2 to these fabrics, we find inactivation rates that exceed the number of virus particles present in a cough. We also find evidence that the influenza A virus surface protein haemagglutinin and the SARS-CoV-2 surface protein spike are destabilized on these fibers. These fibers may thus confer broad-spectrum viral inactivation properties to PPE and complement existing PPE by reducing the risk of respiratory virus transmission even further.