Non-thermal (or cold) plasma has been around for years. A version of this technology is incorporated into power plants to stop particles being released into the atmosphere. It can also be used to decontaminate food.

Now, researchers have developed an exciting new use for the stuff – the eradication of potentially dangerous viruses floating in the air.

Indeed, cold plasma is so good at its job, it can kill 99.9 percent of airborne viruses, researchers at the University of Michigan found. Their research is published in the Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics.