Effective Against Bird Flu?
Bird flu. I am investigating decontamination of FFP3 masks and the mask / face interface. my friend who is a lab rat suggested H2O2 as a suitable fluid. I then read about the use of H2O2 in the ears to prevent ingestion of the human flu virus and wondered if the same approach could be made for the mouth and nose. Later I found reference to a nasal swab that killed off virus entering the nose. So I am very interested in any info on the use of H2O2 for decontamination of H5N1 masks. Now if H2O2 will kill H5N1 on surfaces, I am wondering if it would be safe to actually breathe into the lungs, via the mouth and nose. From what is on your website it appears that people already do this, without any reported adverse effects. So I am wondering if you know of any medical evidence that may be relevant ?. Great site! Thanks very much.
H2O2 might work, but a more suitable fluid might be vinegar and H2O2 mixed together. It all depends on the concentration of it. A 3% H2O2 with a 5% vinegar mixed together will get concentration of each by 1/2 when mixed in equal portions. Another possibility is the 3%H2O2 plus citric acid (10%), which is less volatile. Breathing 3% H2O2 hardly effects the breathing. However, if you use this as a humidifier or try to create small vapors out this, you will have problems, partly because a 3% might be too strong, so a 1 1/2% H2O2 concentration only might be a safer concentration. I use pure acetic acid put in the cup in a room to kill off the bacteria and harmful viruses, although this will smell pretty bad. I also sometimes spray a 3% H2O2 to disinfect my room which is a safer alternative than using them as a mask. One alternative is a 5% citric acid plus H2O2 3% to the sprayer to create a monopercitric acid which is a more powerful disinfectant than peracetci acid because they don't evaporate. If you are dealing with non-virus, but a strep type of bacteria or those that are resistant to acids a H2O2 potassium carbonate might be a better choice. It all depends on whether viruses we are dealing with can survive under acid or alkaline. Generally most anaerobes do not survive in alkaline, but they do survive under acidic conditions. Therefore an alkaline form of H2O2 is more ideal for bird flu. The exception to this might be SARS, which have a tendency to survive well in slightly alkaline solutions, of which a simple vitamin C ascorbic acid would do well. It is strange why the scientific literature is unusually silent on whether a bird flu virus are acid or alkaline resistant. When in doubt add sea salt, and EDTA, which under this mix will kill any viruses whether they be acid OR alkaline, thus reducing your mistakes of hit or miss.