Portugal Creates the First Miracle Mask Against COVID

Portugal creates the first miracle mask against COVID which inactivates the virus. A collaboration between several Portuguese companies and scientific and academic centres has allowed the development of a mask that inactivates the virus that causes Covid-19, endorsed by the João Lobo Antunes Molecular Medicine Institute in Lisbon (iMM).

On Saturday, the project leaders announced that the mask, called MOxATech, has been on sale since April, but its ability to inactivate the virus has only just been confirmed by a series of tests carried out by the iMM.

The protective equipment has a coating that neutralizes the virus when COVID comes into contact with it. This mask has been developed thanks to the collaboration between the textile manufacturer Adalberto, the retail company MO, Sonae Fashion, the CITEVE technology centre, iMM and the Universidade do Minho.

The virologist of the iMM Pedro Simas, who coordinated the tests, assured that the tests carried out “have shown an effective inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 even after 50 washes, observing a 99% viral reduction after one hour of contact with the tissue”.

The mask, developed with a technical fabric, integrates several different layers, which are waterproof and reusable. It boasts of a certification from the French Direction Générale des Entreprises that accredits the mask with particle retention of 96%, even after 50 washes.