The Potential Use of Hypochlorous Acid and a Smart Prefabricated Sanitising Chamber to Reduce Occupation-Related COVID-19 Exposure

Abstract

Kate Nguyen,1 Dinh Bui,2 Mahak Hashemi,1,3 Dianna M Hocking,4 Priyan Mendis,3 Richard A Strugnell,4 Shyamali C Dharmage2 1School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; 2Centre of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; 3ARC Training Centre on Advanced Manufacturing of Prefabricated Housing, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; 4Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaCorrespondence: Shyamali C Dharmage Email [email protected]: This work is part of a project on the development of a smart prefabricated sanitising chamber (SPSC) to provide extra measures against the transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Stabilised hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is an approved disinfectant against SARS-CoV-2 by the Environmental Protection Association US in its liquid form on non-porous surfaces. This review is extended to cover its viricidal/bactericidal efficacy in aerosolised or sprayed form which showed an effective dose of as low as 20 ppm and the exposure duration of at least 60 s. The aerosolised application was also recommended with particle size of less than 200 μm to increase the contact with pathogens. The review also includes the safety and toxicity of HOCl with different concentrations. The review calls for more investigations into the effect of HOCl in mist and fog form on the respiratory system when transitioning through the proposed SPSC.Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, Sanitiser, occupational health, cross-contamination, healthcare management

Keywords

• sars-cov-2
• sanitiser
• occupational health
• cross-contamination
• healthcare management