MOSCOW, April 3. /TASS/. Russia’s Rostec company has developed innovative anti-bacterial respirator masks that protect from viruses and all microorganisms, the state-owned corporation told TASS.
The test batch of masks featuring the TIOKRAFT air purification technology was produced by the Ramensky Instrument Engineering Plant, a Rostec’s KRET subsidiary.
The Rostec representative explained that air disinfection systems are a priority for the plant.
"After we meet the primary demand, we plan to switch some of the plant’s powers to production of individual protective gear," he said.
According to Rostec, the new protective mask is effective against all kinds of microorganisms, including tuberculosis, spores of mold and fungi, against bacteria, all volatile organic compounds and even foul smells of organic origin.
"The respirator also protects the wearer from viruses with airborne and droplet transmission," the company said.
The mask uses a TIOKRAFT photo catalysis filter, which stops harmful substances and then breaks them down into water and carbon dioxide using UV light.
In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia.
On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. To date, more than 1,000,000 people have been infected worldwide and over 53,000 deaths have been reported. That said, over 213,000 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe.
So far, a total of 4,149 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 281 patients having recovered from the virus. The country’s latest data indicates 34 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.