Coronaviruses are viruses with RNA genetic material enveloped in lipids with spicules that make them look like a crown under the microscope. That’s where the name comes from. That makes them encapsulated or enveloped viruses, but they are different to other viruses of this type, in that they are more resistant in the environment. In animal health, there are various coronaviruses that produce serious illnesses, which have been shown to remain in the environment for up to 28 days. Disinfectants are therefore required for their control, because whilst the main method of transmission is direct contact, a secondary one is the way they remain on surfaces.

SARS-CoV-2 is an emerging coronavirus that was identified at the end of last year in the city of Wuhan (China). It‘s believed to have been originated in other mammals, and has recently crossed the species barrier. In the majority of the population, it only causes extremely mild or non-existent symptoms, but in a minority of cases it can cause fever, headaches, dry coughs and muscular pain, or it can evolve into an atypical pneumonia that can be fatal. The fatality rate of the illness isn’t currently known, but is estimated at between 0.1% and 5%, as the illness is asymptomatic in many infected people and the true prevalence of the infection in the general population is unknown.

In the case of SARS-CoV-2, a virus causing the illness COVID-19, until now we had little information about how it could be transmitted through indirect contact (via surfaces), as the main method of transmission is interpersonal contact, whether physical or due to droplets released when speaking, coughing or sneezing that are immediately inhaled. But, little by little, we are gathering preliminary data regarding this. What we know up till now is that it’s a virus that’s very stable in cold conditions, and can remain on flat surfaces at 4°C. Heat easily deactivates it and at 75°C its capacity to infect disappears in 5 minutes. At room temperature (22°C), its survival capacity on different materials is variable. On cardboard and wood, it maintains its capacity to infect for 24 hours. 4 days on glass or bank notes, and 7 days on plastic or metal. Other publications based on the decontamination of the “Diamond Princess” cruise ship, indicate that this figure might be up to 17 days.

It’s therefore understandable that the disinfection of public buildings, common areas, public transport termini of all kinds, and anything that may have been exposed to the small droplets that result from coughs or sneezes that spread the virus and then touched by others is extremely important to cut off the secondary transmission that seems to play an important role in this pandemic, and to avoid new peaks due to the virus’ resistance time.

Is coronavirus very resistant to disinfectants?

The virus is no match for the Zotal formula.

Coronaviruses are viruses that belong to the encapsulated or enveloped virus group. Despite what the name might suggest, encapsulated viruses are much more sensitive to environmental conditions and disinfectants than naked ones. Why? Due to the nature of the envelopes.

A naked virus’ outer layer is proteins. Proteins are a fairly stable chemical structure, which can only be denatured (deformed) by heat and certain chemical substances like aldehydes. To deactivate a virus of this type, you have to use a chemical substance that harms the proteins that give it its shape, or the genetic material that’s inside it (which can be done with oxygen liberators, hypochlorite or iodine, amongst others).

However, the lipids or fats that encircle an encapsulated virus are very unstable and are affected both by heat and by numerous chemical substances that simply dissolve said membranes. Soaps, solvents, alcohol, chloroform and many others.

They are also deactivated by disinfectants that work against naked viruses, which attack proteins or genetic material.

In conclusion, despite what the name suggests, encapsulated viruses are in general much easier to remove from the environment than naked ones. That’s why their transmission is normally more linked to direct contact between people. In this sense, SAPS-CoV-2 is more resistant to environmental conditions, but sensitive to disinfectants like Zotal D and Zotal Zero Lemon.

How have Zotal Zero and Zotal D been tested?

In an independent laboratory, April 2020.

The test was finished on the 14th of April, in a registered independent laboratory, one of the few laboratories with the technical capacity to carry out tests with viruses in Spain.

ZOTAL-D and ZOTAL ZERO, in dirty conditions with 30 minutes contact time, at concentrations of 5%, 2.5% and 1%, are active against Coronavirus 229E as a surrogate of SARS-CoV-2. The activity has been evaluated in accordance with the internal procedure DESIN-6225 based on the regulation EN 14476: 2014 + A2: 2019.