What do Werewolves and Coronavirus have in common?

The surprising answer is that they can both potentially be stopped by silver. Any horror fan knows that a silver bullet is one of the few weapons that are effective against a werewolf but what’s that got to do with COVID-19?

The print industry are looking for innovative ways it can play its part in fighting the spread of infection through the use of antimicrobial paper, especially for areas where hygiene is essential, such as healthcare. A number of paper and finishing companies have launched papers and coatings with strong antimicrobial properties, featuring additives that are highly effective against pathogens such as MRSA and E-coli.

Silver linings

The active component of most antimicrobial coatings is silver. Silver has been used for years in the healthcare sector to improve infection control, reducing the levels of bacteria by rupturing the bacterial cell membrane. This immobilises the bacteria by starving it of oxygen and destroying the reproductive receptor.

Since paper can be a carrier of bacteria, it makes perfect sense to use an antimicrobial coating in all settings where the spread of bacteria needs to be kept to a minimum – restaurants, schools and, of course, GP surgeries and hospitals.

“Antimicrobial agents act against all types of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses and fungi,” says Richard Pinkney, Director at Celloglas, who produce the antimicrobial laminate Cellomed. “Silver has a proven success rate, even with resistant strains of bacteria. Antimicrobial print is revolutionary for our industry, but crucially it could make a huge difference in the worldwide fight against infection.”

LATEST developments

The power of paper and cardboard to fight against the spread of disease is seen as an exciting area within infection control. While antimicrobial coatings have proven effective against certain bacteria, viruses and fungi, work is underway on finding a formulation that disrupts the spread of human coronavirus. However, James Cropper took a step forward with their PaperGard technology. Already known to be effective against pathogens such as MRSA and E-coli, papers protected with PaperGard have been found to reduce the strain of coronavirus known to infect cats – by over 95% in two hours.

TPH is watching this space and looking forward to bringing the latest printing substrate innovations to our customer base. But you’re on your own if you’ve got any lycanthrope related issues.