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ABSTRACT
The outbreak of COVID-19 caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is a global public health threat. As high-risk environments for transmission, hospitals require effective methods to inactivate the virus on surfaces and in the air to prevent further spread among hospitals. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the use of ozone gas to inactivate surface and airborne SARS-CoV-2 in hospital settings. A systematic literature search was performed in databases including PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science from 2019 to 2024. Studies that assessed the use of ozone gas to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 in hospital settings were included. The quality assessment of the studies was done using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) tool. A total of 10 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Studies have reported that ozone effectively inactivates SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces and air in hospital environments. However, there were variations in ozone concentration, exposure time, and relative humidity (RH) used in each study. Ozone demonstrates promise as an effective disinfectant for inactivating SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces and air in hospital environments. It should be focused on determining the optimal conditions for maximum efficiency and establishing relevant protocols in terms of human health.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Data availability statement
No data was used for the research described in the article.
Strengths of the study
This systematic review included a comprehensive search strategy to identify relevant studies on the use of ozone gas in inactivating SARS-CoV-2 in hospitals. Moreover, this review followed a transparent and repeatable method for study selection, data extraction, and data synthesis. This helps to ensure the reliability and validity of the findings. In addition, this review included a quality assessment of included studies to determine their methodological rigor and potential biases. This can help readers evaluate the strength of the evidence presented.
Weaknesses of the study
This systematic review may have been prone to publication bias, in which studies with positive results were published more than studies with negative results. This could result in an overestimation of the effectiveness of ozone gas in inactivating SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, the included studies differed in study design, concentration of ozone gas used, exposure time, and other factors. This can make it difficult to draw definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of ozone gas in inactivating SARS-CoV-2.
Author contribution statement
All authors listed have significantly contributed to the development and the writing of this article.