As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 28th of June, 2020, an Israeli company called Olvitech is providing a new generation of face masks. They don't look any different from the classic surgical disposable masks we've all become so used to seeing since the coronavirus pandemic exploded, except for their colour, but they do boast incorporated copper oxide with antiviral and antibacterial properties in the material from which they're made.
Marija Osterman from Rinigard, which is expecting the first shipment of new face masks soon, explained the above for 24sata. As she stated, the mask can be used multiple times and indefinitely until it is physically destroyed or covered with water.
She pointed out that Olvitech's innovative masks were first designed for medical staff who are in frequent contact with bacteria and viruses.
''It's a mask that can be worn for up to three hours at a time, and then it should be placed on a flat surface and left for about 40 minutes in order for the properties of the material to work and neutralise any pathogens. The scientists who designed it planned for it to be worn by doctors, and developed it based on the technologies they used to make bandages and other military medical equipment. Now they're focusing on protection against the new coronavirus,'' Osterman continued, explaining that this is a unique mask and its effectiveness doesn't decrease over time.
''This solution is cheaper and more cost-effective in the long run than the existing masks,'' Osterman concluded.
The President of the Croatian Chamber of Pharmacists, Mag. pharm. Ana Soldo, stated that she hopes that the masks will be available on the Croatian market as soon as possible.
''From my perspective, these masks are suitable for doctors, but also for the general population,'' concluded Soldo.
10,000 to 20,000 of Olvitech's new masks should arrive here in the Republic of Croatia by July the 15th, and they calculate that the individual price will be around 40 kuna.
For more on the coronavirus pandemic in Croatia, follow our dedicated section.
