Ozone based inactivation and disinfection in the pandemic time and beyond: Taking forward what has been learned and best practice

The large-scale global COVID-19 has a profound impact on human society. Timely and effectively blocking the virus spread is the key to controlling the pandemic growth. Ozone-based inactivation and disinfection techniques have been shown to effectively kill SARS-CoV-2 in water, aerosols and on solid surface. However, the lack of an unified in-formation and discussion on ozone-based inactivation and disinfection in current and previous pandemics and the ab-sence of consensus on the main mechanisms by which ozone-based inactivation of pandemic causing viruses have hindered the possibility of establishing a common basis for identifying best practices in the utilization of ozone tech-nology. This article reviews the research status of ozone (O3) disinfection on pandemic viruses (especially SARS-CoV-2). Taking sterilization kinetics as the starting point while followed by distinguishing the pandemic viruses by enveloped and non-enveloped viruses, this review focuses on analyzing the scope of application of the sterilization model and the influencing factors from the experimental studies and data induction. It is expected that the review could provide an useful reference for the safe and effective O3 utilization of SARS-CoV-2 inactivation in the post -pandemic era.

Automated summary

The global outbreak of COVID-19 has had a significant impact on human society, and effectively blocking the spread of the virus is crucial for controlling the pandemic. Ozone-based inactivation and disinfection techniques have been proven to effectively kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus in various forms. However, the lack of unified information and discussion on ozone-based inactivation and disinfection in previous and current pandemics, as well as the absence of consensus on the main mechanisms of ozone-based inactivation, have hindered the establishment of best practices in utilizing ozone technology. This article reviews the research status of ozone disinfection on pandemic viruses, with a focus on sterilization kinetics and categorizing pandemic viruses into enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. The review aims to provide a useful reference for the safe and effective utilization of ozone in the post-pandemic era.