Some hospitals coat surfaces with copper, and several manufacturers of face masks include a layer of copper oxide. More than 22 million tons of copper is mined every year, mostly in opencast and underground mines.
![](https://i0.wp.com/geoera.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/copper_kills_virus_1000x667px.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
See how much copper (or other commodities) is produced and processed in Europe in the now electronically European Minerals Yearbook, updated under the Mintell4EU project.
![](https://i0.wp.com/geoera.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/minerals_yearbook_copper.png?resize=700%2C722&ssl=1)