Wearing masks before stepping out has become the order of the day, the new normal that all are still trying to cope up with, ever since the pandemic started. But not every mask is effective or not everyone knows the appropriate way to use a mask. In India, not wearing a mask at a public place has become a punishable offence. Use and throw masks are also adding to the non-biodegradable waste pile.
To make wearing masks more convenient a team of Indian scientists have developed a self-disinfecting antiviral mask to fight the disease. The mask is coated with copper-based nanoparticles that are more potent to restrict foreign particles like viral and bacterial infections as well as coronavirus, the science and technology ministry said. The mask is also washable, highly breathable, low cost and biodegradable.
The ministry further noted that mask compliance to control the transmission of virus has been difficult, particularly in densely populated hospitals, stations, airports and shopping malls where the asymptomatic patients can be in higher numbers. Even expensive masks in the market today do not have antiviral or antibacterial properties.
Moreover, since the current masks only filters viruses and does not kill them chances of transmission through contact from mask is not properly disposed after use is high.In such a situation it is necessary that a mask is made available that is self disinfecting and easier to use.
The mask has been developed under the Department of Science & Technology (DST) sponsored Nano-Mission project. Scientists at the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), an autonomous R&D Centre of Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, in collaboration with the Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB) and Resil Chemicals, a Bengaluru based company worked on the project. Resil is now producing such double layer masks on large scale
The masks come with a uniform layer of nano-coating on cotton fabric. CSIR-CCMB tested the efficacy of this fabric against SARS-CoV-2 and reported 99.9 per cent effectiveness in disinfection, as evident from the standard results.
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