Unique Strongly Alkaline Electrolyzed Water as a Sustainable Countermeasure Against COVID-19 and Future Pandemics

Disinfecting spaces and surfaces contaminated with pathogens is a very effective means of combating respiratory infectionsInfection such asCoronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) COVID-19. However, disinfectants such as hypochlorous acid are not practical for sustainable use because they are corrosive and have an irritating odor that may cause healthHealth problems in humans. We recently found that SALEW (strongly alkaline electrolyzed waterStrongly alkaline electrolyzed water (SALEW)), an alkaline electrolyzed waterElectrolyzed water that does not contain chlorine-based agents, efficiently inhibitsSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) SARS-CoV2, which suggests that this could be a new disinfectant agent. SALEW fits well with Sustainable Development GoalsSustainable development goals (SDGs) (SDGs), since it contains only minimal potassium hydroxidePotassium hydroxide (KOH) and can be easily converted back to plain water. Importantly, SALEW exhibited potent antiviralAntiviral and antibacterial activity against a wide range of virusVirus species, including SARS-CoV-2 and several Gram-negative bacteriaGram-negative bacteria, within a very short contact time. In addition, SALEW inhibits the binding and invasion efficiency of SARS-CoV-2 on its target cells and has exhibited a good safetySafety profile in animals and humans. Therefore, SALEW is expected to be used as a new antiviralAntiviral and antimicrobial disinfectant that is safe for humans and the environment and can be used against a wide variety of pathogens. In this chapter, we describe the molecular mechanism of the viral suppression of SALEWStrongly alkaline electrolyzed water (SALEW) and its usefulness as a sustainable countermeasure against COVID-19 byCoronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) spraying safe disinfectants, especially on the premise of a “strategy for living with COVID,” which is becoming mainstream globally. It is also worth consideration as a countermeasure against the next global outbreak of emerging/re-emerging infectionInfection that may occur in the near future.