Reusable mask “capable of inactivating coronavirus” launched in Portugal

A consortium of companies and research institutes announced on Saturday that they have created a type of reusable mask capable of inactivating the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19 disease.

Named MOxAd-Tech, the textile mask “successfully passed the tests carried out by the Joao Lobo Antunes Institute of Molecular Medicine,” the consortium said in a statement sent to journalists.

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The creators claimed that the mask has an “innovative coating that neutralizes the SARS-CoV-2 virus when it comes into contact with the fabric, an effect that remains even after 50 washes.”

Pedro Simas, a virologist, explained that the tests on the MOxAd-Tech mask revealed a “99 percent viral reduction after one hour of contact with the virus, according to the test parameters indicated in the international standard.”

“In a simplified way, these tests consist of analyzing the tissue after contact with a solution that contains a certain amount of virus, whose viability is measured over time,” said Simas.

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The masks, being produced in Portugal, will be sold for 10 euros (11.6 U.S. dollars) in the country and throughout the European Union.

Portugal recorded four more deaths from COVID-19 and 263 new infections in the last 24 hours, bringing the totals to 1,716 and 49,955 since the beginning of the pandemic.

Source: Xinhua