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Masks that trap and kill viruses
Is becoming a ‘variant factory’ inevitable? No – there may be an alternative. They call themselves ‘Transmission Hackers’ and they’re democratising PPE to provide a virus reducing partner in ‘Covid World’.
Ground-breaking anti-viral wearables developed by Akhand Armour in Milton Keynes can apparently help turn people into ‘Human Sanitising Shields’ to deactivate the virus by stealth as they walk through the community.
Akhand Armour’s Meena Hanspal explains: “As soon as infected droplets land on the wearables, which are impregnated with a virus destroying tech, the outer wall of the coronavirus is destroyed, rendering it useless.”
“Our methodologies neutralise the landed virus and bacteria. Killing it off means it cannot infect and cannot mutate. Not only do we mitigate contact-based transmission, we mitigate the likelihood of variants developing. By moving over to these wearables we can help reduce background virus transference by removing landed infected droplets from circulation.”
“This means we’ve got ‘human virus neutralisers’ moving through the community,” says Hanspal. “In the same way as people can become ‘virus transmitters’, we can turn them into ‘human virus neutralisers’. There will be strength in numbers – the more people using the tech, the greater the shielding effect”.
The enhanced virus destruction technology has been tested and certified at MSL, a microbiological testing laboratory based in the UK. They are the first to achieve an ISO certification for non-medical face masks and wearables – scientifically confirming the landed virus is destroyed on contact with the fabric.
Proven effective against coronaviruses, the flu and bacteria as well as a multitude of other microbes the ‘self-sanitising eco-system’ includes face masks, sanitising face mask pocket cases, glasses cases, shopping bags and mobile phone cases. They have also developed scarf-mask hybrids (called a Scarsk) for people who cannot get on with masks, and a baby changing blanket for use in public baby changing rooms or when travelling.
Dr David Greensmith, one of Akhand’s scientific advisors, and a leader in Infectious Diseases at the University of Salford, points out that face coverings can become contagious surfaces by collecting microbes through use: “A covering which is designed to prevent transmission may, after time, facilitate it.” Dr Greensmith goes on to say “Aface covering augmented in the way Akhand Armour have developed, can ultimately reduce the likelihood of microbe spread between
Their T4 mask uses two virus destruction technologies to self-protect, whilst the sanitising face mask pocket case also continues to destroy virus on both the mask and your pocket between uses. Remaining active for the life of the textile makes these wearables much more sustainable, with each T4 Quad-lock saving upwards of 400 disposable masks per person. All of the products have been engineered to be diversity friendly with ‘2nd Skin Form Fit’ accommodating multiple face shapes, hats, turbans, beards, headwear and hearing aids.