Are masks with anti-viral coating more effective?

Are masks with anti-viral coating more effective?

30.11.2020

It is an intriguing idea, but there haven’t been enough independent studies to establish whether anti-viral masks are better at protecting wearers or preventing the spread of the virus.

The specifics vary, but many anti-viral masks are supposed to be made or coated with materials that have extra virus-fighting properties, such as copper. Websites for several antiviral masks do not provide detailed information about how researchers tested their safety or effectiveness, said Hyo-Jick Choi, a materials science expert at the University of Alberta, Canada.

But it usually takes years to design and test new mask technology, said Choi, who is part of a group that has been developing a different type of anti-viral mask since before the pandemic.

Choi said a simpler way to boost the effectiveness of the masks you’re already using is to ensure you’re putting them on, wearing them and taking them off correctly.

And while no mask can fully protect wearers, “Almost any mask can help to protect others around the wearers,”

said Jiaxing Huang, a professor of materials science and engineering at Northwestern University, US.

— AP