The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted public health worldwide. Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 transmission via aerosols and surfaces has highlighted the need for efficient indoor disinfection methods. For instance, the use of ozone gas as a safe and potent disinfectant against SARS-CoV-2 virus is of particular interest. Here we tested the use of pseudoviruses as a model for evaluating ozone disinfection of the coronavirus at ozone concentrations of 30, 100, and 1000 ppmv. Results show that ozone disinfection rate of pseudoviruses was similar to that of coronavirus 229E (HuCoV-229E) at short contact times, below 30 min. Viral infection decreased by 95% following ozone exposure for 20 min at 1000 ppmv, 30 min at 100 ppmv and about 40 min at 30 ppmv. This findings mean that ozone is a powerful disinfectant toward the enveloped pseudovirus even at low ozone exposure. We also showed that viral disinfection occurs on various contaminated surfaces, with a positive association between disinfection and surface hydrophilicity. Infected surfaces made of aluminum alloy, for example, were better disinfected with ozone as compared to brass, copper, and nickel surfaces. Lastly, we demonstrate the advantage of ozone over liquid disinfectants by showing similar viral disinfection on top, side, bottom, and interior surfaces. Overall, our study demonstrates the potential use of ozone gas disinfection to combat the COVID-19 outbreak.

COVID-19 大流行严重影响了全世界的公共卫生。SARS-CoV-2 通过气溶胶和表面传播的证据突出表明需要有效的室内消毒方法。例如，使用臭氧气体作为针对 SARS-CoV-2 病毒的安全有效的消毒剂尤其令人感兴趣。在这里，我们测试了使用假病毒作为模型来评估臭氧浓度为 30、100 和 1000 ppmv 的冠状病毒的臭氧消毒。结果表明，假病毒的臭氧消毒率与冠状病毒229E（HuCoV-229E）在短接触时间（低于30分钟）相似。在 1000 ppmv 臭氧暴露 20 分钟、100 ppmv 臭氧暴露 30 分钟和 30 ppmv 臭氧暴露约 40 分钟后，病毒感染减少了 95%。这一发现意味着即使在臭氧暴露量较低的情况下，臭氧也是对包膜假病毒的强力消毒剂。我们还表明，病毒消毒发生在各种受污染的表面上，消毒与表面亲水性呈正相关。例如，与黄铜、铜和镍表面相比，由铝合金制成的受感染表面用臭氧消毒效果更好。最后，我们通过在顶部、侧面、底部和内表面显示类似的病毒消毒来展示臭氧相对于液体消毒剂的优势。总体而言，我们的研究证明了臭氧气体消毒在对抗 COVID-19 爆发方面的潜在用途。例如，与黄铜、铜和镍表面相比，由铝合金制成的受感染表面用臭氧消毒效果更好。最后，我们通过在顶部、侧面、底部和内表面显示类似的病毒消毒来展示臭氧相对于液体消毒剂的优势。总体而言，我们的研究证明了臭氧气体消毒在对抗 COVID-19 爆发方面的潜在用途。例如，与黄铜、铜和镍表面相比，由铝合金制成的受感染表面用臭氧消毒效果更好。最后，我们通过在顶部、侧面、底部和内表面显示类似的病毒消毒来展示臭氧相对于液体消毒剂的优势。总体而言，我们的研究证明了臭氧气体消毒在对抗 COVID-19 爆发方面的潜在用途。