Antibacterial and antiviral high-performance nanosystems to mitigate new SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

Abstract

The increased severity of the COVID-19 infection due to new SARS-CoV-2 variants has resonated pandemic impact which made health experts to re-evaluate the effectiveness of pandemic management strategies. This becomes critical owing to the infection in large population and shortcomings in the existing global healthcare system worldwide. The designing of high-performance nanosystems (NS) with tunable performances seems to be the most efficient method to tackle infectious SARS-CoV-2 variants including recently emerged omicron mutation. In this direction, experts projects the versatile functionalized NS and their capabilities to mitigate SARS-CoV-2 propagation pathways by sensitization, antipathogenicity, photocatalysis, photothermal effects, immune response, developing efficient diagnostics assays or associated, selective biomarkers detection, and targeted drug delivery systems. To achieve these tasks, this opinion article project the importance of the fabrication of nano-enabled protective gear, masks, gloves, sheets, filtration units, nano-emulsified disinfectants, antiviral/bacterial paints, and therangostics to facilitate quarantine strategies via protection, detection, and treatment needed to manage COVID-19 pandemic in personalized manners. These functional protective high-performance antibacterial and antiviral NS can efficiently tackle the SARS-CoV-2 variants transmission through respiratory fluids and pollutants within water droplets, aerosols, air, and particulates along with their severe infection via neutralizing or eradicating the virus.

Keywords: COVID-19, Coronavirus diseases 2019; Effective management of virus; FDA, Food and Drug Administration; FET, Field-effect-transistor; Intelligent nano-healthcare; LBL, Layer-by-Layer; Multifunctional nanosystem; NS, Nanosystem; SARS-CoV-2, Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Trapping and mitigation of COVID-19.

Graphical abstract

Figure 1

Spreading of the COVID-19 pandemic and possible nanotechnology-based intervention. (a) Prospective of NS-supported approaches and strategies to mitigate COVID-19 viral infections caused by new SARS-CoV-2 variants of concerns. (b) Illustration of state-of-the-art nanosystems investigated for diagnosis, treatment, and vaccine delivery to manage COVID-19 efficiency (Copyright ACS 2021). NS: nanosystem.

Figure 2

The NS-assisted high-performance nanomedicine (a, Copyright Dovepress 2020) and biosensing approach, (LBL: Layer-by-layer) (b, Copyright ACS 2020) to combat COVID-19 infection intelligently in a personalized manner. NS, nanosystem; LBL, layer-by-layer.

Figure 3

Few mechanisms (external stimulation, restricted transmission, filtration, and delivery) involved in the eradication of SARS-CoV-2. (a) Nano (TiO2)-assisted approaches to eradicate micro-organisms on light stimulation [52]. (b) Antiviral biopolymer–coated surface to eradicate virus (Copyright ACS 2020) [45]. (c) Cloth-based mask (three-layered, a combination of cotton silk, chiffon, and flannel fabric) to trap SARS-CoV-2 containing aerosol (<300 nm and efficiency of 85%) for avoiding transmission (Copyright ACS 2020) [47]. (d) Fabric (synthetic/cotton blend, wool, cotton, synthetic, and synthetic blend)-dependent performance of a mask to trap aerosol virus useful to avoid infection transmission (Copyright ACS 2020) [46]. (e) NSs-assisted approach to deliver vaccine inside the viral infected cell.