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Scientists Found an Unexpected New Use for Ultrasound Waves

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Antibacterial soaps and disinfectant sprays may one day become less important in the fight against viruses like COVID-19 and the flu. Not because humanity suddenly discovered how to wash its hands properly; we’re still pretty bad at that. But researchers are exploring whether viruses could eventually be destroyed using sound waves instead of chemicals.

We’re probably still a long way from walking around with some kind of sci-fi sonic virus cannon, but according to research published in Scientific Reports, scientists may have taken an early step in that direction.

Researchers at the University of São Paulo in Brazil found that the same kind of ultrasound waves already used in medical imaging were capable of physically damaging influenza A and SARS-CoV-2 particles in lab experiments. According to the study, specific ultrasound frequencies created microscopic vibrations that were strong enough to........

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