Can paint kill germs?

[Archae]

I don't know, this smells like an over-hyped sales pitch to me.

Sherwin-Williams says new paint will kill bacteria

The company created a paint that it claims will kill bacteria — a major cause of healthcare-associated infections in hospitals. Among the targeted bacteria are Staph, MRSA, E. coli, VRE, and Enterobacter aerogenes.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC say that “on any given day” about one in 25 patients contracts at least one healthcare-associated infection during their hospital stay.

Not only are such infections a major cause of hospital deaths, but they are also extremely costly. Based on CDC data from 2009, healthcare-associated infections cost U.S. hospitals between $28 billion and $45 billion a year in direct medical costs.

“Paint Shield” claims to kill over 99.9% of these bacteria after they’ve been on a painted surface for two hours. It also reduces the growth of “common microbes.”

“[It’s] one of the most significant technological breakthroughs in our nearly 150 year history of innovation,” Sherwin-Williams executive Chris Connor said. “By killing infectious pathogens on painted surfaces, Paint Shield is a game-changing advancement in coatings technology.”

http://wbay.com/2015/10/31/sherwin-williams-says-new-paint-will-kill-bacteria/

[PoliticAverse]

1. An article with more details...

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2015/10/sherwin-williams_patented_germ.html

The secret lies in its active ingredient, "a well-studied and highly regarded quaternary ammonium compound called Alkyl Dimethyl Benzyl Ammonium Chloride, or 'quat,'" he said.

Not only did Sherwin-William chemists successfully suspend the compound in the paint, they found a way to add it to the paint without compromising the paint's integrity. Scientists had to create a now-patented formulation to ensure that the ingredient remained stable in the coating.

[safeinOhio]

2. Any side effects?

We always find out later.

[PoliticAverse]

3. Good question. It seems to be in a few products sold to consumers already...

http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/brands?tbl=chem&id=983

[krispos42]

4. What happens after a few weeks?

Dirt and grime can build up on paint..This might insulate topical germs from the antimicrobial ingredients.

[KG]

5. right, blame it on walls. it's the nurses and doctors. years ago while watching my father die during

a weeks long stay in a hospital, i was shocked by the rather cavalier fashion they moved from patient to patient w/o gloves, masks, etc.. also, the air isn't filtered and don't get me started on the ceiling tiles.

[Holly_Hobby]

6. My doctor's nurse said stainless steel needs to be replaced by copper

She said nothing grows on copper. However, I can't imagine the cost of replacing all those surfaces with copper.

When will the human race learn that fighting nature is a losing battle?