Anti-viral transparent adhesive protection for Touch Screens to help in the fight against COVID-19

Society requires new solutions to reduce the probability of COVID-19 cross-infection as people resume their daily lives. However, common touch surfaces have been shown to contain significant viral and microbial contamination. The SARS-CoV-2 virus can be present on plastic and glass surfaces for several days and multiple users of the same touch surfaces creates a continuous biological load that leads to cross-contamination, despite periodic cleaning.

Studies have shown that touch screens of mobile phones belonging to medical staff in COVID-19 wards have a \>80% chance of containing the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It is almost certain that people with COVID-19 will have a highly contaminated mobile phone screens. If they then use public transport ticketing machines, the contamination will pass to that surface, as is the case with other forms of touch screen.

A new form of transparent coating has been developed using vacuum coating that is extremely biocidal. These new anti-viral coatings will be tested on ticket machines used widely in transport, and thus break chains of transmission arising from numerous people touching the same surface.