Viruses are vulnerable as they transmit between hosts, and we aimed to exploit this critical window. We found that the ubiquitous, safe, inexpensive and biodegradable small molecule propylene glycol (PG) has robust virucidal activity. Propylene glycol rapidly inactivates a broad range of viruses including influenza A, SARS-CoV-2 and rotavirus and reduces disease burden in mice when administered intranasally at concentrations commonly found in nasal sprays. Most critically, vaporised PG efficiently abolishes influenza A virus and SARS-CoV-2 infectivity within airborne droplets, potently preventing infection at levels well below those tolerated by mammals. We present PG vapour as a first-in-class non-toxic airborne virucide that can prevent transmission of existing and emergent viral pathogens, with clear and immediate implications for public health.

中文翻译：

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丙二醇可灭活呼吸道病毒并防止空气传播


病毒在主机之间传播时很容易受到攻击，我们的目标是利用这个关键窗口。我们发现普遍存在、安全、廉价且可生物降解的小分子丙二醇（PG）具有强大的杀病毒活性。当以鼻喷雾剂中常见的浓度进行鼻内给药时，丙二醇可快速灭活多种病毒，包括甲型流感、SARS-CoV-2 和轮状病毒，并减轻小鼠的疾病负担。最重要的是，汽化的PG可有效消除空气中飞沫中的甲型流感病毒和SARS-CoV-2感染性，有效防止感染水平远低于哺乳动物的耐受水平。我们将 PG 蒸气作为一种一流的无毒空气传播病毒剂，可以防止现有和新出现的病毒病原体的传播，对公众健康产生明显而直接的影响。