US media: Russian scientists discovered that nano-silver masks may help prevent the new crown virus

       Reported on February 13, US media said that Russian scientists have discovered a material that can kill the flu virus, and they hope it can withstand the coronavirus.

According to a report on the US "Newsweek" website on February 11, scientists hope that a material they claim can kill bacteria and viruses can be used in masks to help deal with the new coronavirus pneumonia epidemic.

According to reports, the main component of this material is nano-silver with antibacterial properties, which is prepared by using a melt-blown process. Alexander Zanovich Medvedev, who worked on the project, explained that this made polypropylene fibers with a diameter of 1 micron. Medvedev is currently in charge of a laboratory of the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It is not clear whether this research has been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Medvedev said in a statement that he and his colleagues put the finished material on the inner layer of a conventional three-layer medical mask. The chief researcher of the Institute of Chemistry and Technology Nikolai Zakharovich Liakhov said that the researchers tested the performance of the mask against influenza A virus, staphylococcus and E. coli.

When the research team compared this new material with that of ordinary masks, they found that the number of viruses passing through the latter was 10,000 times higher.

Leahov said: "Our material can kill and completely suppress the virus." However, he went on to say that the working mechanism of the material is not yet fully understood, and this issue must be studied in other research projects.

The research team believes that this material can protect people from influenza A for up to 10 hours, while conventional masks need to be replaced every 1 to 2 hours.

A press release issued by the Institute of Solid Chemistry and Mechanical Chemistry of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences stated that this new mask can be reused, but it will be more expensive than conventional masks.

Liakhov said he talked with infectious disease experts. These experts said that since this type of mask can kill the influenza A virus, "then other viruses that are likely to cause respiratory infections will also be affected in the same way."

The report pointed out that the new crown virus first caught the attention of Chinese authorities at the end of 2019. It had previously infected employees at a seafood wholesale market in Wuhan, the central city of the country. Little is known about the characteristics of the virus, including how it spreads. Therefore, the aforementioned research team is still observing the effect of this new material against this new virus.

Medvedev said that the research team has built a production line to make samples for experts to test.

Medvedev said that Lyakhov has maintained close contact with its Chinese partners and is willing to send samples to China for testing, but it is not clear how to pass the transportation barriers set up to prevent the spread of the new crown virus.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that ordinary people do not need to use masks to prevent this coronavirus (because the new coronavirus has not spread among the general population) or any other respiratory diseases such as influenza.

Dr. Amesh Adalja, a scholar at the Center for Health Security at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, told the MarketWatch website that most people do not know how to use masks correctly to avoid infection. In addition, those who rush out to buy masks may cause a shortage of supply, which means that it is difficult for medical service providers to obtain masks.

Eric Toner of the center said that wearing a mask "almost no harm", but "it is unlikely to be very effective in preventing (coronavirus)".

As there is no vaccine against the new coronavirus, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requires the public to follow conventional measures to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses.

These routine measures include: washing hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after using the bathroom, before eating, and after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose; when sneezing or coughing, cover your mouth with a tissue or elbow, and then immediately Throw away paper towels; try not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands; stay at home when you are sick; if you are healthy, please avoid contact with patients; objects and various surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected regularly with sprays or wipes .