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The anti-microbial effect of copper has been known for decades, which is why it fathoms next that fixtures in hospitals are still made from steel.
by madengr 7y ago
The anti-microbial effect of copper has been known for decades, which is why it fathoms next that fixtures in hospitals are still made from steel.
- wegs 7y agoMillennia, actually. There is clear evidence that people understood the medical importance of copper in ancient Rome, and even some evidence of Bronze-age Egypt and ancient India (which is to say it's clear copper was used in medicine, but it's unclear people had evidence it helped). That's 2000 years definitely, and 5000 years possibly. Prior to disinfectants, hospitals used a lot of copper. It only became a relic with industrial-grade disinfectants. That said, the timelines aren't such that it seems useful for use in masks. Viruses and bacteria survive on copper for hours, instead of days. There are a lot of uses of copper which aren't grounded in science and make no sense (superstitious nonsense). But copper for things people touch a lot? Doorknobs? Definitely makes sense.
- dingaling 7y agoIt's simply that copper is too expensive to use on an extensive scale such as hospital fittings. Copper costs about twice as much as stainless steel per tonne and that is with current demand levels. Squeezing supply would raise that significantly.
- nradov 7y agoAnnual worldwide copper production is 18M tonnes and increasing. Most of it is used in plumbing and wiring. Taking a little bit for hospital hardware wouldn't impact demand much, and the extra cost would be a rounding error compared to all of the other equipment that goes into a modern healthcare facility.