PPE to Be Upgraded With Special Fabric That Eliminates Viruses on Contact

PPE — (Photo : Photo by Tumisu from Pixabay)

In dealing with suspected patients, medical workers wear personal protective equipment or PPE. PPEs are designed to prevent exposure to infection, especially as the spread of the virus hasn't been completely understood.

Under those circumstances, there's a great risk that virus-laden droplets coming from coughs and sneezes may attach to the surface of these materials. That's why scientists recently came up with the idea of a hybrid cloth that generates a low level of electricity, which kills the virus upon exposure, according to a report from Forbes.

How Does the Fabric Work?

In the report, it was detailed that the scientists were part of a study conducted by Indiana University on "electroceuticals." It has been established that the coronavirus, just like all viruses, can be electrically charged. To spread the infection, they rely on electrostatic interactions as they latched onto a host. The researchers then utilize the coronaviruses' own flow of electricity to halt its process of infection.

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As a means for test control, the team, which was led by Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering's Chandan Sen, used a polyester fabric embellished with zinc and silver made metal dots. After that, they then allow the "electroceutical" clothing to absorb the coronavirus solution. This resulted in an analysis that after one minute of exposure, there was a reduction in the electrical flow of the virus particles.

This data on how the coronavirus is obliterated through exposure to low-level electric field-generating fabric is also published on News at IU.

Sen and his team's pressing goal with what they've discovered are to push for immediate approval with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They want to apply their findings in this technology, specifically in the use of face masks.

"This work presents the first evidence demonstrating that the physical characteristic features of coronaviruses may be exploited to render them non-infective following contact with the low-level electric field-generating electroceutical fabric. Our hope is that these findings will help Vomaris receive FDA Emergency Use Authorization and that we can utilize this fabric widely in the fight against COVID-19, ultimately saving lives," Sen via Medical Express.

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Currently, the "electroceutical" fabric is commercially used for antimicrobial wound dressing. The said researchers also conducted experiments regarding the effects of antibiofilm and antibacterial in the administration of wounds that are infected. V.Dox Technology is the name of this applied science, and it gives scientists a non-antibiotic fix for reducing the risks of infecting face masks.

Meanwhile, a report from CTV News commends that cloth face masks do help in the prevention of the transmission of the coronavirus. The use of fabric masks has undergone a lot of debate, but this recent finding states that multiple layers of cloth will limit an individual from getting the virus.