CAVEAT : FORWARD THINKING STATEMENT : CAVEAT
2020 A.D.E. SINCE TIME BEGAN : salus populi suprema est lex - the right of the people is the supreme law : IN TRUTH WE TRUST 2020 A.D.E.
ALBERTA PHD GRAD : FIVE YEARS OF RESEARCH : SALT CRYSTALS IN FACE MAKS : DESTROYS COVID DROPLETS
"TORONTO -- Researchers at the
University of Alberta have developed a virus-killing salt coating that’s
designed to improve the effectiveness of the common surgical masks often used
to prevent the spread of pathogens like influenza or the new coronavirus.
The
sodium chloride coating applied to the surface of the surgical mask is designed
to kill any virus particles which can otherwise survive for up to a week -- a
risk researchers say the average person isn’t aware of.
“Viruses can
survive on the surface [of a mask] for a few hours, to a week -- and improper
handling can cause transmission of the disease,” Hyo-Jick Choi, chemical and
materials engineering professor at the University of Alberta, said during an
interview on CTV’s Your Morning
“People have a tendency to touch
their face every four minutes and contaminated hands can easily spread the
disease from person-to-person and contaminate other surfaces.”
Surgical
masks have become a common sight in Canada and around the world since the
outbreak of the deadly coronavirus spread outside China last month. Many
pharmacies around the country have already sold out of the masks and consumers
have reported skyrocketing prices for various models online in the midst of the
outbreak.
But
Choi says improper use of these masks can actually increase the risk of
transmission.
According
to Choi, neither mask nor respirator is capable of killing a virus; which
means, once contaminated, viruses can live on the surface of the filter for up
to a week.
The
salt coating, which has been under development since 2015, essentially works to
kill any particles of the virus it comes into contact with.
“When
virus-carrying water droplets sit on the surface, the salt dissolves and water
begins to evaporate,” he explained. “During the evaporation process the salt
crystals begins to grow and a very sharp edge of the crystal basically destroys
the virus.”
Choi's
team -- supported by Mitacs, a national not-for-profit organization that
fosters growth and innovation in Canada -- has tested the coating on three
different influenza viruses, all of which became inactive within 30 minutes of
being exposed to the sodium chloride.
Based
on these results, Choi expects the product to be manufactured in the next 12 to
18 months.
In
the meantime, as fears surrounding coronavirus’ spread grow, Choi says it’s
imperative that the general public learn the proper way to use surgical masks
and respirators.
“We
have to understand that with surgical masks we have to replace them with a new
one every few hours,” he said, noting that the masks are essentially useless if
re-used.
The
most common face masks are loose surgical masks with elastic loops that go
around the ears. The masks cover the mouth without creating a seal around it.
One side is generally coloured blue, and is meant to face outwards. The top of
the mask has a metal strip to mold to the bridge of the nose.
When
putting a mask on, Choi notes you must ensure a good fit for the mask to be
effective, which means molding the metal strip to fit around your nose and
fanning the mask out to cover your mouth properly.
It’s
important to never touch the mask itself when removing or handling it and take
it off by touching the ear loops only.
Lastly, be mindful of how you dispose of the mask, keeping in mind that any surface it comes into contact with could transfer potential virus particles."
2020 A.D.E. SINCE TIME BEGAN : salus populi suprema est lex - the right of the people is the supreme law : IN TRUTH WE TRUST 2020 A.D.E.
