Covid 19: a classic surgical mask capable of detecting the virus

Anicet Mbida 06:54, February 08, 2022

After the self-tests, we will soon have a new tool to fight the pandemic.

It is a classic surgical mask, but capable of detecting the Covid.

It was developed by researchers at Kyoto University in Japan.

In fact, everything happens in the filter.

They impregnated it with a substance capable of reacting as soon as it came into contact with the Covid.

So just wear your mask, as usual, all day long.

And at the end, instead of throwing it away, we put it on an ultraviolet lamp.

And if fluorescent green spots appear, it has been in contact with the virus.

Advantage: this should make it easier to identify asymptomatic patients.

Today, only contact cases or those who have symptoms will themselves be tested.

All the others prefer to avoid (we understand them. The swab in the nose is not very pleasant).

With this system, it will be enough to analyze your mask to find out if you have caught the Covid.

Could this replace testing?

We would only have to cough into the mask to know if we are positive…

In principle, yes.

But as with self-tests, reliability depends above all on the quality of the sample.

But for the moment, the effectiveness of the filter has only been validated after being worn for several hours.

So yes, it could work just by coughing into it.

But you should make sure you have left enough mucus on the filter so that it can react.

This is also a point on which they are working: using their filter in a new generation of self-tests that would react to saliva.

They are also working on a new formula capable of being revealed with a simple cell phone flash.

Because we don't all have a black light at our fingertips.

Do we know when this filter or these masks will be marketed?

Normally, from next July.

Industrialization is underway.

Advantage, the substance that reacts to Covid is very inexpensive to manufacture.

For the record, these are ostrich antibodies.

They are therefore made in ostrich eggs.

As they are 20 times larger than chicken eggs, antibodies are 20 times cheaper.