A team of Japanese scientists has created an original mask filter that glows under ultraviolet light and reveals traces of the virus COVID-19 if the user is infected.
Scientists from Kyoto Prefectural University say the masks they have made contain an extra filter in its layers. When removed and sprayed with a fluorescent dye containing antibodies, the filter will glow when placed under ultraviolet radiation if traces of the virus are detected COVID-19.
According to a press release from the university, the team developed this method by first injecting an inactive form of the virus COVID-19 in female ostriches. From there, they worked to extract antibodies - a protein produced by the immune system in response to bacteria and viruses - from the eggs of these female ostriches by injecting these antibodies into the fluorescent spray.
Speaking to the Japanese news agency Kyodo News, researcher Yasuhiro Tsukamoto said he had conducted experiments with 32 people infected with COVID-19 over a period of 10 days. The researchers found that the masks worn by these 32 testers shone brightly and showed signs of the virus. COVID-19 after being sprayed with antibody spray and kept under ultraviolet radiation. Tsukamoto's team also noted that the glow faded over time as patients recovered and their viral load decreased.
Tsukamoto intends to test the mask on 150 participants in the group's next round of testing and hopes to get the green light from the Japanese government to sell the masks in 2022.