A Bangladeshi-born young British scientist has invented a disinfectant spray that can fight all pathogens on any surface including that of coronavirus for 14 days, the BBC Bangla reports.
It's already had £10m worth of orders - and is being used in NASA labs, according to the Manchester Evening News.
Sadia Khanom, 26, created the spray, called Voltique, that attracts and kills all pathogens on any surface it is applied to for a fortnight, according to the report.
It has been hailed as a 'breakthrough' for the pandemic, Manchester Evening News reports.
Sadia, from Cheshire, began developing the spray after she put her PHD on hold and worked in her parents’ restaurant Cafe India, the report adds.
There she studied the virus on a nano molecular level and created different equations to find the perfect formula to kill it, according to the Manchester Evening News that covers Greater Manchester in North West England.
Sadia then used the restaurant as a case study and tested her invention on all surfaces, from leather to wood to fabric, to test its efficacy, according to the report.
Described as one of the biggest breakthroughs of the pandemic, Voltique has been successfully trialled globally by the likes of the NHS and NASA, reports Manchester Evening News.
It is now being taken on by a number of governments and blue chip companies, according to the report.
The spray formula is a nanoscale disinfectant barrier that can be used across multiple industries on all surfaces – making them 100 per cent Covid safe for 14 days whilst saving up to 70 per cent on staff cleaning and disinfectant product bills, according to the report.
Pilot hospitals and care homes have collated positive data – with swabs confirming that all treated surfaces have become completely free from pathogens, including Covid-19, the report notes.
The concept was devised following eight months of research from Sadia, who was about to take a PhD in Alzheimer’s research and neurodegeneration when the pandemic struck, Manchester Evening News adds.
Instead of following that next step in her medical career, she drew on her existing science, genomic medicine and geneticist degree education to try to find a solution that would kill Covid-19, according to the report.
"I’ve been obsessed with science from an early age and as a child I’d often ask for extra homework," she was quoted by Manchester Evening News as saying.
"My passion piqued at the age of 14 when my grandfather developed Alzheimer’s and from then on I have made it my mission to prevent the disease.
"I have a strategy to find an early intervention of Alzheimer’s however my restriction has been lack of funding, so I decided that by creating something like Voltique I could create a solution for Covid whilst funding my Alzeimer’s research at the same time."
Putting her PHD on hold, Sadia worked in her parents’ restaurant while spending endless hours number crunching in her spare time, Manchester Evening News reports.
She studied the ever changing virus on a nano molecular level and creating different equations to find the perfect formula to kill it, according to the report.
"The implications are massive, with every surface the spray is applied to being 100% Covid safe for 14 days following application,” she was quoted by the daily as saying.
"It represents a huge step for Covid safety and it will save businesses money on disinfectants and cleaning hours too."
Ms Sadia was also quoted to have said: "Naturally, I’m delighted that my extensive research has led to something so ground breaking, but for me it has always been about the intention and my passion for using science to make the world a better place.
"It is not about financial gain for me, but I am very excited about the prospect of making enough money to self-fund my Alzheimer’s research.
"I am determined to one day fulfil my dream of finding an early prevention of Alzheimer’s in the name of my grandfather, so I can help save others from the same genetic disease that he has suffered from."
