Coronavirus: Army Develops Spray That Kills Pandemic Strain

A disinfectant spray has been developed by the British Army which can eliminate 99.99% of the COVID-19 virus in less than a minute.

The Virusend formula is proven to be highly lethal against SARS-CoV-2, the pandemic strain of the coronavirus.

Fifty thousand bottles of Virusend disinfectant are being deployed to personnel across the country who are working alongside the NHS at coronavirus testing stations as part of the military’s ongoing support to civil authorities.

It is already being used at coronavirus mass testing sites in Medway, Kent, and Preston.

Bottles of the disinfectant will also be available for the public to purchase online and in stores, with talks ongoing to up-scale the commercial rollout of the product.

The product was developed to provide the Army with enhanced protection in addition to a range of PPE and social distancing measures while operating COVID testing facilities.

Lieutenant Colonel James Cackett, CO 35 Engineer Regiment (EOD&S) and commanding the Medway Resilience Unit, said: "The troops who are now working in Medway have welcomed the deployment of this additional force protection measure.

"Virusend is proving easy to use and will help us keep our work areas safe for everyone."

Extensive tests were carried out by the Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases Research and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

The disinfectant is also being tested for wider use in the NHS including within clinical environments.

Michael Pritchard, Chief Executive of Pritchard Spray Technology - the company that developed the spray, told Forces News he thinks the formula “is a world beater” and “the most effective formula in the world.”

The spray’s quick kill-time makes it ideal for use on a variety of surfaces within high footfall areas such as mass testing and vaccination sites.

He added: “We believe one of the great advantages of this [spray] is, unlike other products that take a long time to work, if at all they do work, this turns it around in a minute.

“If you’re in a testing station where people are coming to that testing station because they believe they might have coronavirus, it’s even more important that you disinfect with a product that you know will kill Coronavirus.”

Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Warhurst, Virusend Project Manager, Manoeuvre Support Plans, said: "I am truly privileged to be at the centre of this amazing partnership and work with such talented and dedicated people.

"What started out as a good idea has developed into an amazing product that has the potential to have a real impact against the virus.

"The Army is proud to have been involved in this incredible project."

The fully recyclable and re-useable bottle covers a wide surface area, can be sprayed upside down, and uses compressed air instead of flammable gases.