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English⧼Colon⧽ fig6: Exposure to copper surfaces results in morphological changes to human coronavirus. Purified HUCoV-229E was applied to metal surfaces and then removed, and a negatively stained preparation was observed using transmission electron microscopy. (A) Intact virions were visible following exposure to stainless steel for 10 min. (B) However, following exposure to copper for 10 min, many virus particles appeared to be disintegrating (indicated by a star), although some intact virions were still present (arrow). (C) After a 30-min exposure to copper, further damage had occurred and virions appeared shrunken (indicated by a star), with damage to surface spikes (arrow).