Fighting COVID-19: Indian Scientists Develop Self-Disinfecting, Anti-Viral Mask

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New Delhi: A team of Indian scientists has developed a self-disinfecting anti-viral face mask to prevent coronavirus.

According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, the anti-viral mask coated with copper-based nanoparticles has been seen to be effective against coronavirus and several other viral and bacterial infections.

The advantages of this mask – developed by researchers at International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), in collaboration with Bengaluru-based company Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB) and Resil Chemicals — is biodegradable, highly breathable and washable. It’s a part of Nano-Mission project, sponsored by the department of Science and Technology.

Throughout the world, the use of mask has been stressed time and again as an effective measure to contain the deadly virus since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic almost two years ago. But wearing conventional masks has not always been easy, especially in densely-populated places like hospitals, airports, stations and shopping malls where the virus load is very high, the Ministry observed.

“Expensive masks neither exhibit antiviral nor antibacterial properties. Present-day face masks only retain the viruses by filtering and do not kill them and hence, are prone to transmission if the masks are not properly worn or disposed,” the Ministry said.

“Prototype masks having different designs such as single layer and triple layers with nanoparticle coated fabric as outer layer have been demonstrated. A single layer mask is especially useful as a protective antiviral outer mask over a regular mask,” the Ministry said.

The Omicron-driven third wave of the COVID pandemic seems to be ebbing, but the virus may mutate further and more variants could emerge. So a mask is anything but a thing of the past.