Can Ozone Kill Coronavirus?

The impact of coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease is unprecedented. First appearing in December 2019, coronavirus has since then, spread rapidly across the globe. No disease in recent times has had the same profound impact on public health and the economy than coronavirus. 

In the UK we are still under lockdown and adhering to the strict guidelines laid down by the government. Our social lives and working lives have in the space of a short few weeks, changed completely.

Damage restoration practitioners all across the world use ozone generators as part of their services. We too, at Ideal Response use specialist ozone equipment to deal with airborne contamination and residual odours on many of our projects. The question we are asking today; Can ozone kill coronaviurus? 

In the restoration sector, ozone is used for a variety of different reasons. On fire damage projects, it can be used to remove residual VOC’s in the air. On water damage it can be used to eliminate the spread of bacteria from a foul water source. 

Restoration companies across the world are assisting on the front lines, decontaminating important places such as schools, supermarkets and hospitals. Using their expertise and knowledge, the restoration sector is applying this to the fight against coronavirus. 

But does using ozone against coronavirus and COVID-19 work? Well, according to studies and the previous use of ozone as part of infection control and virus protection – yes, it does. 

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This blog post collates some of the scientific evidence made available that demonstrates the capabilities ozone against coronavirus. As well as showcasing the benefits of using ozone, we take a moment to outline the associated risks of using ozone to combat coronavirus. 

How does Ozone work against Coronavirus?

An enveloped virus refers to the outer coat that wraps around the virus particles. This outer shell protects the virus, ensuring its survival and the ability to infect other cells.

Coronaviruses are classified as enveloped. Therefore, coronavirus is more susceptible to what scientists refer to as a physico-chemical challenge. This ultimately means that coronaviruses can be broken down when exposed to ozone gases.  

The outer shell of the virus is destroyed by ozone and can then be attacked at its core. When appropriate levels of ozone are utilised, up to 99% of the viruses can be eliminated.

History of Ozone Use Against Coronavirus

Ozone has been successfully used against viruses in recent times. In 2003, ozone was successfully used to combat coronavirus; SARS-Cov-1. This also belongs to the same family of viruses as COVID-19. This alone is reason to believe that using ozone against COVID-19 would be effective.