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Coronavirus pandemic

Russian university creates anti-coronavirus coating for face masks

When compared with an ordinary face mask, a silver-coated one is ten times more effective

MOSCOW, September 22. /TASS/. Masks coated with nanosilver, developed by scientists from Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, have shown their effectiveness in protecting against the causative agent of a new coronavirus infection, according to the report of the the Vektor Research Center, the university's press service reported on Tuesday.

"According to Vector, the fabric coated with nanosilver inactivates 99.997% of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that has got on its surface within five minutes. Note that our masks do not provide mechanical protection against microorganisms. It is the nanosilver coating that stops the spreading and growth of bacteria, and almost completely destroys the coronavirus that gets on it. It is important to note that we have done a lot of work on the selection of parameters for the formation of an effective antiviral coating of nanosilver, demonstrated by the Vektor's research: only two types of tissue samples reached the indicated coronavirus inactivation values (over 99.98%), among which was the material of the Silver Mask," the press service quotes the head of the Functional Materials at Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University Alexander Goikhman.

The study also showed that the permeability for microorganisms of tissue samples coated with nanosilver amounts to 3-6% and is at the level of a three-layer medical mask of good quality of the second class — respirators of the second protection class FFP2 are capable of retaining at least 94% of harmful substances. When compared with an ordinary hygienic gauze or face mask, a silver-coated one is ten times more effective.

Scientists discovered that there is no fundamental difference in protective effectiveness between tissue samples with one- and two-sided coating with nanosilver of different thickness.

The studies were carried out within the framework of the agreement signed between Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, a small innovative enterprise of the university "Atolab" and the Vektor Research Center. The agreement is aimed at developing optimal parameters for antiviral textiles coated with silver nanoparticles, capable of withstanding highly pathogenic human viruses, including the coronavirus infection.

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