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COVID-19 Research: Ozone and Aerosol Treatment
Citation:
Oudejans, L. AND K. Ratliff. COVID-19 Research: Ozone and Aerosol Treatment. Emergency Response Webinar Series, N/A, August 12, 2021.
Impact/Purpose:
This presentation will be given as part of EPA's Emergency Response Webinar Series and will present research to evaulate the efficacy of ozone against SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces and different types of aerosol treatment technologies against bacteriophage MS2 (a potential surrogate for SARS-CoV-2).
Description:
Reducing the risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, relies on effective cleaning and disinfection, along with public health strategies like testing and social distancing. Recent studies have indicated that exposure to aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 can facilitate the spread of COVID-19. As indoor environments (e.g., schools, businesses, mass transit) continue to repopulate, more attention is being focused on technologies that claim to reduce or eliminate virus transmission via aerosols while operating safely in occupied spaces. Current limitations on data availability and test design prohibit comprehensive evaluation of how effective different types of technologies will be in reducing concentrations of viruses and other airborne pathogens in real-world settings. EPA researchers are evaluating the efficacy of different types of aerosol treatment technologies in reducing airborne concentrations using a large-scale test chamber and a standardized testing approach. Conducting this research at a sufficiently large-scale with a recirculating HVAC system provides EPA and the public with an independent source of efficacy information that can be more reliably translated to real-world settings. Researchers are establishing protocols for evaluating efficacy of aerosol treatment products to help facilitate cross-technology comparisons. Additionally, alternative methods that supplement regular cleaning and disinfection are being investigated by EPA researchers for their use in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Ozone fumigation has been identified as a potential method for disinfection of surfaces contaminated with SARS-CoV-2. This webinar will discuss results from evaluating the efficacy of such methods and real-world application.