Israeli Fire Department crew spray disinfctants as they sanitize a drive trough site on March 20, 2020 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Number of coronavirus in Israel continues to jump, after over 200 new cases have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images) An Israeli biotech company said it has developed a mask that destroys coronavirus within 30 minutes after contact.
MedCu Technologies microbiologist Gadi Borochov told the online magazine ISRAEL21c on April 10, “Studies show that 99.99 percent of the viruses that came in contact with our mask were destroyed in only 30 minutes.” The masks are made with layers of antimicrobial copper oxide; when the masks need to be disposed after a few days, they don’t pose any harm to the environment, according to ISRAEL21c.
MedCu will distribute the masks to China and are in talks to distribute the masks worldwide.
“The entire Western world is looking for masks now as a way for people to start going back to work while being protected from exposure to the virus,” MedCu CEO and co-founder Danny Lustiger told the publication.
The Israeli companies Sonovia and Argaman also have been developing similar copper oxide-based masks. Sonovia’s masks features antimicrobial zinc and have been distributed to Israeli soldiers and Germany; Argaman’s Bio-Block masks feature nanofiber textiles and are in process of being distributed to an undisclosed country.
“The mask not only blocks the virus but kills the viruses going both to the wearer and away from the wearer in case the wearer is infected,” Argaman founder and CEO Jeff Gabbay told ISRAEL21c in January.
ISRAEL21c highlighted other Israeli masks that are in development, such as Dr. Noam Gavriely’s ViriMASK. ViriMask features a filter and a visor to completely seal off a person’s face from the virus.
StandWithUs CEO and co-founder Roz Rothstein tweeted that the copper oxide-based masks are “a true global game changer.”
A face mask that kills 99% of all viruses, including Corona, will come out of an Israeli company, Argamon. The fabric is washable spun cotton mixed wth copper. Argamon is now working with Hong Kong- this mask will be a true global game changer @StandWithUs https://t.co/DjV1veieAR
— Roz Rothstein (@RozRothstein) April 15, 2020
In Israel, it is mandatory to wear a mask or some sort of face covering when venturing outside. The Israeli Health Ministry said in a statement on April 5, “A face mask greatly reduces the likelihood of being infected and infecting others.”
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