WHAT ROLE DOES NANOMATERIAL PLAY IN PANDEMIC COVID -19?

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) made its first appearance in Wuhan, China. Following that, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak of the new virus to be a pandemic in March 2020. Coronavirus illness 2019 is the common name for the pandemic (COVID-19). SARS-CoV-2 is a highly pathogenic virus with a high transmission rate. To date, it has claimed the lives of about 4.71 million people all across the world.

Nanotechnology is widely used in biomedicine, particularly for controlled medication administration, illness diagnosis, and therapy. Many laboratories throughout the world have used this technology in response to the current pandemic. Facemasks with nanomaterial-coated filters, vaccines with nanometer adjuvants, and economical and quick COVID-19 diagnostic tests are among the applications.

Nanomaterials aid in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infected people.

Virus prevention and nanomaterials :

SARS-CoV-2 is primarily transferred through droplets from an infected person's cough or sneeze, according to scientists. These droplets can stick to nearby objects, such as doorknobs, and to healthcare professionals' protective gear. SARS-CoV-2 remains active for seven days on a facemask worn by an infected person, according to a study. When healthy people come into contact with these contaminated areas, they are at a significant risk of contracting COVID-19.

Facemasks with dual purposes, such as protection against the SARS-CoV-2 virus and exceptional self-disinfection capabilities, have been developed thanks to nanotechnology. In addition, the use of nanoparticles in the production of self-disinfecting surface disinfectants has proven to be quite advantageous in hospital and healthcare environments. By catalyzing particular processes to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) under specific wavelength light irradiation, gold nanoparticles can destroy viruses and bacteria.

Non-metallic nanomaterials, such as hydrophobic graphene nanomaterial, have also been produced for facemasks with self-disinfection capabilities. Facemasks' filtering properties are also improved by nanoscale TiO2 fiber coating. To reduce the buildup of dangerous microorganisms in Nano fiber holes, inorganic nanoclusters (NCs) have intrinsic bactericidal and antiviral action.

COVID-19 diagnosis and nanomaterials :

A COVID-19 biosensor system based on nanomaterials and one-step reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification has been developed by scientists. This biosensor is capable of detecting COVID-19. A field-effect transistor (FET)-based biosensor device can effectively identify the COVID-19 virus in medical samples. The COVID-19 spike protein may be efficiently identified using biosensors made from graphene nanosheets that have been treated with the COVID-19 spike antibody.

 

HOW ARE SAFETY TESTS CARRIED OUT IN NANO TECH?

To evaluate the harm associated with substances, a variety of toxicity tests are employed. The regulations regulating the material and how it will be utilised will determine which ones are employed. For example, toxicity testing for a new medicine are far more extensive than those for a new cosmetic. Cell cultures — in vitro testing – are used in several of them. By exploring the chemical composition of a material, some of them can offer an indicator of hazard without using cells. In other situations, computer models are employed to determine the potential toxicity of a novel drug.

Most toxicologists believe, however, that most of these experiments can only go so far in predicting how a novel chemical would affect humans, and that in vivo testing will be required at some time. There are movements across the globe – and rightfully so – to reduce animal experimentation and, when feasible, find alternatives. Unfortunately, when it comes to brand new materials, such as engineered nanomaterials, modelling and cell cultures are insufficient to anticipate how these materials would behave in a real body.

This issue is exacerbated by the fact that several known toxicity tests designed for chemicals do not function well with nanomaterials. So toxicologists are faced with a dilemma: should they depend on non-animal testing that may not be appropriate, risking allowing dangerous items onto the market, or do they test these things on animals to reduce the odds of anything awful happening? It's a difficult question to answer. But, in the end, most persons involved in ensuring that new products do not hurt people will use the most comprehensive set of tests available to give them with the most accurate information on product safety.