New face mask prototype can detect COVID-19 infection

There are some who can kill the virus instead of filtering it. The epidemic has not gone away and there is no need to wear a mask. If anything, the second wave that is breaking out means that everyone – vaccinated or not – needs to wear masks and suppress slips that can help the virus strike. But if the virus has developed, wear a face covering and there are some things one can do to combat the novel coronavirus only at their own risk.

The mask being developed by an MIT professor could kill the virus instead of just filtering it. The face coverings have a copper mesh that heats up to 70 degrees Celsius, trapping the virus and killing it. Insulating materials and thermoelectric coolers keep the air breathable while medically sterilizing the air. The reusable mask requires a 9-volt battery and can also kill bacteria and mold. 

It can weigh less than 250 grams and costs only a few dollars. Another virus-killing mask being developed by a UK firm first sterilizes the air in a small container (carrying in a backpack or worn on a belt) with UVC light and then blowing that air through a fan. Sends through the hose attached to the mask by using. Battery-powered masks can cost up to $500 and are primarily intended for healthcare professionals. 

Animal trials found the mask to be effective as a vaccine in preventing influenza. Another group of researchers at the University of California, San Diego is developing a sticker containing the test, which looks for enzymes produced by the body during a COVID infection and can be applied to any type of mask. The mask has been tested on saliva samples and is ready to start human trials soon. Researchers say each sticker could cost a few cents.

Researchers at Harvard University’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering are developing a mask that tests wearers for Covid-19 while exhaling. The mask has a freeze-dried diagnostic test built into it that reacts with air wearers to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and gives results in 90 minutes. The mask must be worn for at least 30 minutes for the test to work