All articles tagged with #surfaces
Surfaces containing cholesterol, such as the skin of some invertebrates, can repel other molecules, preventing the adsorption of proteins and bacteria. This repulsive quality depends on cholesterol molecules rotating freely and switching their orientation, according to experiments, simulations, and thermodynamic analyses.
A study conducted in London found that the spread of COVID-19 in households is linked to the presence of the virus on hands and surfaces, not just in the air. The study recruited 414 household contacts who lived with 279 people who were newly diagnosed with COVID-19 between Aug. 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021. The research team checked all the contacts regularly using PCR tests in the nose and throat, while also swabbing the hands of both the primary cases and their contacts. The researchers also took samples from frequently touched communal areas, to measure the amount of virus genetic material and the number of particles.