Israeli Startup to Donate 120,000 Face Masks

An Israeli startup will donate around 120,000 masks made with an anti-pathogen, anti-bacterial fabric it developed that could help stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), to Israeli hospitals, medical professionals and coronavirus patients, reported The Jerusalem Post.

“Sonovia Ltd. is determined to use its novel technology for the good of the State of Israel,” the company said in a release. “In this crucial period, it is hoped that our efforts will help curtail the number of clinical cases of coronavirus we see in Israel in the upcoming weeks and months.”

Sonovia developed an almost-permanent, ultrasonic, fabric-finishing technology that “mechanically infuses metal oxides nanoparticles onto textiles during an ultrasonic-assisted impregnation process with the specialized chemical compound turning the textiles into highly effective blocks against bacteria and fungi,” the website NoCamels reported.

It was based on a process created at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan.

Dr. Jason Migdal, a research scientist with Sonovia, said any airborne bacteria will be destroyed upon contact with the surface of the mask. He explained that coronavirus is spread via aerosol and direct contact, making any antiviral personal protective equipment “of crucial importance to combat the transmission of this viral epidemic.”

On Sunday, the company imported all its stored fabric from its R&D line in Germany to its headquarters in Israel and then to a factory in Jerusalem that will make the masks, according to The Jerusalem Post. Migdal said the masks will be ready by next week.