Researchers recently have discovered that copper alloys destroy MRSA, norovirus and other pathogens, according to an article on the Modern Healthcare website.
The alloys damage bacterial DNA and respiration, leading to cell breakdown, and inactivate certain viruses, often within hours, the article said.
Grinnell (Iowa) Regional Medical Center recently outfitted six of the 13 single rooms and three of the five double rooms in its medical-surgical suite with bed rails, toilet flush levers, grab bars, soap dispenser push plates, light switches, IV poles and other high touch surfaces made of copper alloy.
After terminal cleaning, 88 percent of the bacterial samples from rooms outfitted with copper fell below recommended concentration levels.
What Managers Miss in Small and Mid-Sized Cooling Units
Preparing Healthcare Facilities for Cockroach Risks
The Medical College of Wisconsin Breaks Ground on Student Housing Complex
A Shift in Healthcare Facilities Management
Trauma-Informed Design Transforms Boston Homeless Shelter