New £5 mask could KILL Covid as virus-busting ingredient destroys bug as you walk
A NEW face mask coated with a X ingredient could kill Covid particles – and it costs just £5.
The Invisi Smart mask, launched by a London-based company, doesn’t just act as a barrier to the virus – it also destroys particles.
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The mask has a layer of titanium dioxide (Ti02) inside, a chemical with virus destroying properties.
Therefore, germs which land on the mask surface do not spread any further, such as onto the wearer's hands.
It has been studied in the laboratory by Cambridge researchers during the Covid pandemic, as Britons become accustomed to wearing a face covering to protect themselves against the coronavirus.
Researchers sprayed tiles with Ti02 before applying SARS-CoV-2 particles – the virus that caused Covid-19.
The team found the technology destroyed the virus and it was undetectable after a few hours.
And what’s more, the tiles had been sprayed 120 days prior to the experiment, meaning their effects are long lasting.
This means the Ti02 can "effectively inhibit infection by Covid-19 for up to 120 days", according to Ravi Gupta, a professor of clinical microbiology at the university who was involved with the study.
In an interview with Good Health, Prof Gupta, who helped identify the new coronavirus strain that emerged in Kent, said: “With the new variant of SARS-CoV-2, we need more than ever innovative protection.
“Most important is deactivation of the virus on a mask so that it cannot be transmitted by touch.”
Prof Gupta and colleagues posted their findings on the website BioRxiv before being reviewed by other scientists.
The team wrote that Ti02 is a “promising candidate” for boosting the efficacy of facemasks.
And it could also be used on surfaces that are likely to be contaminated, such as in a hospital.
In August, a study from EPFL in Switzerland claimed that masks with the coating can "kill germs and be reused up to 1,000 times", according to MailOnline.
Now Invisi Smart Technologies have jumped on the chance to use Ti02 in their products, claiming their mask kills 99.99 per cent of germs, based on the Cambridge research.
The Invisi Smart mask costs £4.75 each and is reusable for five days. At £7.19, it will last for 30 days.
The masks logo on the front indicates when the ask has degraded, having been designed to fade as the Ti02 diminishes.
Experts see it becoming useful in clinical settings, where medics currently throw their masks away after just one use to prevent the virus spreading.
Mask efficient
The Invisi Smart mask has three layers of material, which is the minimum required to curb coronavirus spread.
According to a study published in the journal Thorax, face coverings – including those made at home – need a minimum of two layers, and preferably three, to stop droplets from the nose and mouth spreading.
How to properly use a face mask
A face covering should:
- cover your nose and mouth while allowing you to breathe comfortably
- fit comfortably but securely against the side of the face
- be secured to the head with ties or ear loops
- be made of a material that you find to be comfortable and breathable, such as cotton
- ideally include at least two layers of fabric (the World Health Organization recommends three, depending on the fabric used)
- unless disposable, it should be able to be washed with other items of laundry according to fabric washing instructions and dried without causing the face covering to be damaged
When wearing a face covering you should:
- wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitiser before putting a face covering on
- avoid wearing on your neck or forehead
- avoid touching the part of the face covering in contact with your mouth and nose, as it could be contaminated with the virus
- change the face covering if it becomes damp or if you’ve touched it
- avoid taking it off and putting it back on a lot in quick succession (for example, when leaving and entering shops on a high street)
When removing a face covering:
- wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitiser before removing
- only handle the straps, ties or clips
- do not give it to someone else to use
- if single-use, dispose of it carefully in a residual waste bin and do not recycle
- if reusable, wash it in line with manufacturer’s instructions at the highest temperature appropriate for the fabric
- wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitiser once removed
Source: Department of Health
The World Health Organization recommends at least three layers, while the Department of Health say a face covering should “ideally include at least two layers of fabric”.
There are dozens of instructions on how to make a multi-layered face covering yourself, such as on the Government website.
Respiratory droplets are the main route of transmission of the coronavirus, and wearing a mask prevents them from spreading, as well as preventing the wearer from inhaling them from others.
But some masks – including surgical ones – go the extra mile and filter out large particles in the air.
N95 masks, worn by frontline medics treating coronavirus patients, are a type of respirator because they offer even more protection than a surgical mask.
It can filter out both large and small particles when the wearer inhales. As the name indicates, the mask is designed to block 95 per cent of very small particles.
Cloth coverings for the general public also work to reduce the spread of the virus, multiple studies have shown.
The most useful studies come from looking at whether cases have actually declined after people have covered up – called epidemiological research.
One study, published in Health Affairs, showed the daily growth rate of coronavirus slowed by two per three weeks after face mask wearing was made mandatory in 15 states of the District of Columbia.
Two per cent may sound small, but the current “growth rate” in the UK is +2% to +5%, meaning the number of new infections is growing by between two per cent and five per cent every day.
The Government were unconvinced by the science on face masks until June, when it was made law for people to wear them in shops and on public transport in England.
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