The washable covering has been proven by a study to kill coronavirus with a 95 per cent success rate within one hour. The fabric has a chemical coating that kills viruses by rupturing their outer layer, and is being developed by a team at Cambridge University and UK company LiquidNano.
Further testing has been commissioned. The mask uses a technology that is based on ammonium salts, which are used in the textile industry for their anti-microbial properties.
An initial study of the facemask was overseen by Dr Graham Christie, senior lecturer at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at the University of Cambridge.
Dr Christie said: “Our study showed that the coating on this facemask has strong anti-viral properties, which are likely to be effective against all types of coronavirus .
“We initially tested it on a pathogen called MHV-A59, which is genetically and structurally very similar to the causative agent of Covid-19.”
Research showed that 95 per cent of viral pathogens introduced to the fabric were killed within one hour and virtually 100 per cent after four hours.
