Nonthermal plasma‐generated ozone inhibits human coronavirus 229E infectivity on glass surface

Ozone has been used for surface disinfection to contain bacterial, fungal, mold, and certain viral infections; however, the use of ozone generated from nonthermal plasma devices have not been thoroughly investigated for surface disinfection. Here, we aimed to determine the impact of nonthermal plasma‐generated ozone (PGO) on the coronavirus. Human coronavirus 229E was exposed to PGO and its infectivity was evaluated. PGO exposure of approximately 7 ppm reduced the viral titer after 4 h. Our results indicate that PGO exposure not only reduces the expression of the viral nucleocapsid gene and spike glycoprotein levels but may also stimulate the expression of the antiviral response gene in host cells. These findings can thus be useful to support existing surface disinfection methods. HCoV‐229E virus, a surrogate of SARS‐CoV‐2, was exposed to cold plasma‐generated ozone for 4 h under ambient room conditions. A significant reduction of viral infectivity in host MRC‐5 cells was observed. Exposure to plasma‐generated ozone led to a reduction in the expression of viral nucleocapsid genes and a spike in glycoprotein levels. Also, enhanced expression of antiviral response genes was observed in host cells.