Evaluating Chlorine Dioxide Gas as an Antiviral Agent: Insights from the Development, Optimization, and Application of a MS2 Bacteriophage Model System

Abstract

 Since emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the etiological agent causing COVID-19, the need to identify antiviral agents for disinfection purposes has dramatically increased. Chlorine dioxide gas has previously been identified as an antibacterial agent with strong oxidizing capabilities. Additionally, the MS2 bacteriophage was identified as a suitable surrogate for the development, evaluation, and application of virucide decontamination methods. The purpose of this study was to identify and assess the antiviral properties of chlorine dioxide gas and to identify optimum physical conditions for potential deployment in support of current antiviral disinfection needs. Using the MS2 bacteriophage model system, studies used the double-layer agar plaque assay technique to design, optimize, and evaluate the antiviral activity of chlorine dioxide gas. Results support the potential use of chlorine dioxide gas as an antiviral agent and show that environmental factors heavily influence the ability of chlorine dioxide gas to act as an antiviral agent. (1925), commenting particularly on those practices’ impact on the internal worlds of Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Smith.