Copper touch surfaces installed in intensive care units (ICUs) pay for themselves in less than a year, according to a cost-benefit model developed by the York Health Economics Consortium (YHEC) and commissioned by the International Copper Association. This is due to the resulting reduction in surface bioburden and hence healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs).
http://www.act-surfaces.co.uk/want-to-see-the-business-case-for-antimicrobial-copper-touch-surfaces/