Ultrasound treatment inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in vitro infectivity (preprint)

ABSTRACT

Background: COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is a disease caused by infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), affecting millions of people worldwide, with a high rate of deaths. The present study aims to evaluate ultrasound (US) as a physical method for virus inactivation. Materials and methods: The UV-transductor was exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 viral solution for 30 minutes. Vero-E6 cells were infected with medium exposure or not with the US, using 3-12, 5-10, or 6-18MHz as frequencies applied. We performed confocal microscopy to determine virus infection and replicative process. Moreover, we detected the virus particles with a titration assay. Results: We observed an effective infection of SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan, Delta, and Gamma strains in comparison with mock, an uninfected experimental group. The US treatment was able to inhibit the Wuhan strain in all applied frequencies. Interestingly, 3-12 and 6-18MHz did not inhibit SARS-CoV-2 delta and gamma variants infection, on the other hand, 5-10MHz was able to abrogate infection and replication in all experimental conditions. Conclusions: These results show that SARS-CoV-2 is susceptible to US exposure at a specific frequency 5-10MHz and could be a novel tool for reducing the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Keywords Ultrasound, SARS-CoV-2, virucidal effect, COVID-19