Face mask developed that kills coronavirus with heat

Face mask developed that kills coronavirus with heat

(Web Desk) - Face masks are being used around the world to try and keep the coronavirus out of our nostrils and mouths, as this is its main way of entering our system.

Now, MIT engineers want to take another step up in the fight against COVID-19, and not just keeping the virus out but getting rid of it altogether. So the team has come up with a plan to create a face mask that uses heat to keep the virus away, and most importantly, that eradicates it.

The plan is for the MIT researchers to build a face mask that has a heated copper mesh. The mesh would help to slow down any viral particles from entering into the user’s system, as well as heat up enough to eradicate the virus.

"The masks that we wear now are designed to capture some of the virus. They do offer protection, but there’s no one really thinking about inactivating the virus and sterilizing the air. That surprised me," said Michael Strano, Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT, and lead author of the study.

The mask is expected to be mostly worn by healthcare professionals, who are in close contact with the virus for long periods of time.

"This is a completely new mask concept in that it doesn’t primarily block the virus. It actually lets the virus go through the mask, but slows and inactivates it," said Strano.

Prototypes of the face mask are being built by the researchers, and testing will begin shortly afterward.