Indian Defence Review

Recent corona virus pandemic has significantly damaged worldwide economic activity and is on a killing spree. This is a “reality horror show” slowly unfolding in front of us with no end in sight where nobody is safe. The killer is invisible to the naked eye and it is present all around us.  Then how to protect ourselves from this calamity ?Herein a rather inexpensive alternative solution is suggested to help in this deadly problem. 

It is extremely important to keep in mind at the outset that what is suggested here is not a medicine that can be taken orally and certainly not a panacea to cure the decease when afflicted but a mere inexpensive and a handy tool to keep oneself safe from the virus at the first place.

Fundamentally, all the pathogens harmful for human life such as bacteria, fungi, spores and viruses are made of organic substances such as DNA, RNA, lipids or an outer protein shell. Their constituent elements are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen.  It is here, a basic chemistry concept of oxidation comes handy. In simple terms oxidation means combustion. In practice, combustion requires just two constituents – combustible material and oxygen or an oxidizer – a substance that provides oxygen. Combustion generates mainly CO2 and water. The reason for oxidation to occur is that the nature favors reaction of oxygen with organic substances. Combustion can also be flameless.  Hence oxygen is “Lord Shiva” of organic matter – the pathogens. Lord Shiva is the deity in Hindu mythology – one among the holy trinity – that oversees destruction. We therefore need a suitable and inexpensive oxidizer – a destroyer – to kill Coronavirus. This is the basic chemistry behind a solution that can be effectively employed in killing this dreaded virus.

So far, a few simple and straightforward pathways have been suggested to protect against this deadly virus. Frequent hand-washing with soap is a rather simple solution. One needs to carefully rub hands with soap lather for at least 20 seconds and then wash hands with ample amount of water.  Washing hands by water and soap looks simple. However, billions of people worldwide do not have access to clean water. Soap is a luxury to hundreds of millions poor people. Moreover, contaminated water can and will do more harm than good. In fast approaching summer months, scarcity of water in many parts of the world will certainly endanger lives.

Another route is use of hand sanitizers if water is not available. Hand sanitizer is made up of 70% alcohol, 20% glycerin and 10% hydrogen peroxide.  Alcohol production demands significant amount of water whereas glycerin is derived from vegetable oils and also from propylene – a hydrocarbon gas and also a starting material to make poly-propylene. Both these ingredients will very likely strain and badly distort the availability of water and agriculture and economy.  Mainly due to these reasons, availability of hand sanitizers on a mega-scale at affordable price over a long period of time can become extremely difficult to achieve and maintain.

Recently, a retired scientist from the National Chemical Laboratory in Pune, India, stated that widespread and frequent use of hand sanitizer can be dangerous because it generates nitrates that are harmful to soil. Both these routes entail severe cost to the local and country’s economy and livelihood of hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

So far, for public hygiene as a protective measure authorities have employed bleach.  Bleach is corrosive because it contains chlorine – a toxic gas.  It is harmful if it comes in contact with skin and eyes. It also leaves a residue that must be washed away with water.  If swallowed, it is harmful and hence it must never be sprayed on people. It is simply unsuitable to wash hands with bleach like a sanitizer.

Coming back to the fundamental chemistry, to initiate flameless and spontaneous combustion, we need a substance that can give off an active form of oxygen – atomic oxygen.  Ozone gas which has one extra atom of oxygen can supply atomic oxygen. Indeed, atomic oxygen is routinely employed in the computer chip manufacturing industry to burn off tough polymer. Ozone is also a much talked about gas which protects life on earth from harmful cosmic radiation that can literally fry life on earth in seconds. It can be also made in some air cleaning machines from air and electricity. Indeed, in the US, Environmental Protection Agency evaluated application of ozone for destruction of pathogens in water. Their finding (https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-12/documents/mcchristian-ozone.pdf)shows that ozone oxidizes protein shell of a virus and distorts it so much that the virus loses its ability to attach to the host cell. However, application of ozone is complex, expensive and therefore not suitable for the masses. 

So what else can be out there that can give off much needed atomic oxygen similar to ozone to start combustion of this virus? One such substance ishydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is a common household liquid which gives off atomic oxygen readily. Hydrogen peroxide or simply called as peroxide is nothing but water with an extra oxygen atom added to it! It is manufactured worldwide in large quantities. According to the US Center for Decease Control, 3% peroxide solution should be able to deactivate Coronavirus effectively (https://www.consumerreports.org/cleaning/common-household-products-that-can-destroy-novel-coronavirus/)in a few minutes.

Hydrogen peroxide is fully miscible with water. Doctors frequently use it to sanitize wounds. It is manufactured at concentrations ranging from 3 to 10%. It can be an irritant if used at higher concentrations. Peroxide is relatively inexpensive and also non-corrosive. It can be effectively used in place of a hand sanitizer. It can also be safely sprayed over large areas for sanitization of public spaces. Since peroxide is heat and light sensitive, it is usually stored in dark colored plastic bottles.  However, peroxide being an oxidizer can discolor fabric. Households and restaurants alike can use peroxide spray for surface cleaning and also to sanitize vegetables, fruits, food and other items. By product of hydrogen peroxide is only water! Moreover, peroxide can be gently used to sanitize the personal protective envelope (PPE) of the health care workers on the front line and in hospitals as a rapid and simple disinfectant in place of bleach. Peroxide is being used in Hong Kong to sanitize subway trains (https://futurism.com/the-byte/hong-kong-robots-disinfect-subway-trains). Applications of hydrogen peroxide as described above are for external use only and therefore it must NOT to be swallowed, injected or ingested.  Peroxide must also be safely kept away from children. On balance, peroxide seems the most suitable option among the disinfectants available for the country for several years to come. 

Being a heat and light sensitive liquid, peroxide needs to be stored in a thermos. For billions around the world, it is unaffordable.  A novel and low cost solution to this critical need is being developed and patent protection is being applied for so that it can be mass manufactured in the country under “Made in India” scheme.

Then what is needed right now? There is an immediate need for the medical/scientific community – for example ICMR and NIV (Pune) –to quickly evaluate this solution. They must quickly verify if peroxide can do the job effectively. If proven, these professionals must come up with an acceptable formulation of a peroxide solution in water and also guidelines and safety forits use by the public. Simultaneously, the policy makers must ensure rapid and large scale manufacturing and countrywide distribution of peroxide.

In summary, oxidation or chemical combustion of organic pathogens is an indiscriminate process and therefore must be implemented carefully. The pathogens do not have known protective mechanism against chemical combustion. Therefore, their mutation or evolution cannot work against oxidation. Peroxide is a silent but deadly killer of viruses and needs to be evaluated soon. In fact, a variety of decease causing pathogens including but not limited to bacteria and viruses can be destroyed using peroxide. If it works, something good can come out of this tragedy for common public good. Such measures, however, must be combined with proper personal and public hygiene and discipline to help mitigate the threat of a corona virus pandemic that is rapidly spreading and killing tens of thousands in its path.