Researchers at the University of Cambridge are reportedly working with an antiviral textile treatment that holds the potential of eliminating any strain of the coronavirus within its first hour of contact.
The ‘DioX’ finish has been trialled on face masks to gauge its efficacy in dismantling different strains of the coronavirus, including the UK’s Kent variant and the one which originated in South Africa.
Speaking, Dr. Graham Christie, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at the University of Cambridge, said: “The antiviral agent within the coating of the mask kills the virus by breaching its protective outer membrane, which is known as its envelope. Unlike other parts of the virus, the membrane remains the same regardless of any type of mutation. Hence this way of attacking the pathogen will work on any new variant of coronavirus.”
The technology used for DioX is reportedly based on quaternary ammonium salts, organic compounds used frequently in the industry for their antimicrobial properties. Testing is said to have demonstrated that this solution is capable of eradicating 95 per cent of pathogens on a fabric’s surface whilst all traces are gone within four hours.
“It is the genetic information that encodes this protein that is mutating, and this is leading to very slight structural changes in the shape of the spike. However, the envelope is derived from part of a human cell that the virus grabs from its host in order to protect its genetic material. It is made from lipids, which unlike the proteins do not change,” added Dr Christie.
They reports that a treated mask could withstand up to 20 washes whilst retaining its performance.
