When should the muzzle be discarded? ... A colored patch solves the dilemma

Putting on a muzzle could really make a difference

Scottish researchers have tackled a dilemma that has become prevalent in daily life with wearing masks, so when should these protective masks that contribute greatly to avoiding the transmission of the new Coronavirus infection should be changed?

In its laboratory in Motherwell in Glasgow (Scotland), Insignia Technologies has developed an adhesive that is placed on a protective device that changes color when the latter is used several times, which limits its effectiveness.

These stickers depend on "a series of smart dyes and ink types that change color with exposure to carbon dioxide," according to what the engineer at the company Graham Skinner told AFP.

He explained, "When the epidemic began to spread and there was confusion about the appropriate time to throw masks, we decided to use this technology to develop a discolored patch to be placed on a mask or a medical shirt."

The indicator turns on when the pad is applied to a protective device.

It is yellow at first, then gradually turns blue after four to six hours.

The patch can be reused if the masks are versatile.

Inazio Maria Viola, a physicist at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, stresses the importance of masks to limit the spread of the virus, indicating that there is room for innovation in the use of these protective masks.

He said, "The research conducted since the beginning of the year showed that the virus is transmitted through droplets scattered from the mouth, hence the importance of masks in stopping the spread."

"We learned a lot of lessons that we were not aware of eight months ago," he added.

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh had concluded in August that a person without a muzzle at a distance of two meters from the last sneezing is at risk of catching infested droplets is 10 thousand times higher than another wearing a mask standing at a distance of only 50 centimeters.

And Ignazio Maria Viola stressed that "wearing a mask might really make a difference."

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