Copper is a well known antimicrobial and copper paint is used on ship hulls as an anti-fouling layer.

"Contact killing" is real [1]. A copper ring will definitely kill some bacteria/virus on the skin immediately near where they touch. Related, most copper solutions are considered hazardous waste.

[1] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3067274/

Yes, penguin conservationists do this to scam the penguins... You didn't really think that one through did you.

You don’t see a lot of people walking around with E-collars either, but it’s not a conspiracy.

People are just way better about not biting or licking their wounds.