How is 70% IPA effective in stopping the spread of Covid-19?
The spread of Covid-19 has spurred a surge in demand for disinfectants to keep our hands and surfaces clean. But what do we know about how disinfectants actually deactivate Covid-19, and how should we be using them?
Do disinfectants stop the virus?
Yes. Covid-19 is an enveloped virus, which means the protein capsid containing the viral genome is surrounded by a lipid membrane, and that offers a fairly flimsy defense against disinfectants.
Alcohol-based products will disrupt this lipid layer, and that stops the virus being able to recognise and latch on to host cells. Alcohol solutions at concentrations of 70–80% have been shown to deactivate enveloped viruses with one minute exposure time.
What Is Isopropyl Alcohol and How Is It Used?
Isopropyl alcohol (2-propanol), also known as isopropanol or IPA, is the most common and widely used disinfectant within pharmaceutics, hospitals, cleanrooms, and electronics or medical device manufacturing. Different solutions, purity grades, concentrations, and alcohol types yield beneficial cleaning and disinfection properties when applied correctly.
Why Is 70% the Most Effective Concentration of Isopropyl Alcohol for Disinfection?
Isopropyl alcohol, particularly in solutions between 60% and 90% alcohol with 10 – 40% purified water, is rapidly antimicrobial against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Once alcohol concentrations drop below 50%, usefulness for disinfection drops sharply. Notably, higher concentrations of alcohol don’t generate more desirable bactericidal, virucidal, or fungicidal properties.
The presence of water is a crucial factor in destroying or inhibiting the growth of pathogenic microorganisms with isopropyl alcohol. Water acts as a catalyst and plays a key role in denaturing the proteins of vegetative cell membranes. 70% IPA solutions penetrate the cell wall more completely which permeates the entire cell, coagulates all proteins, and therefore the microorganism dies.
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