An experimental 'air mask' can effectively block airborne viruses The mask is comprised of an air curtain blowing down from the brim of a hard hat Lab tests show the mask can block 99.8% of viruses TUESDAY, July 10, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- An experimental “air mask” could help ward off infectious diseases while people are on the job, researchers report. The mask uses an air curtain blowing down from the brim of a hard hat to prevent airborne viruses from reaching a worker’s eyes, nose and mouth.
The method can block 99.8% of viruses, lab tests show. "Our air curtain technology is precisely designed to protect wearers from airborne infectious pathogens, using treated air as a barrier in which any pathogens present have been inactivated so that they are no longer able to infect you if you breathe them in," said researcher Herek Clack , an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Michigan.
"It's virtually unheard of — our level of protection against airborne germs, especially when combined with the improved ergonomics it also provides,” Clack added in a university news release. The prototype was developed by Taza Aya, a University of Michigan startup company. It features a backpack weighing roughly 10 pounds, which contains technology that sterilizes ordinary air before sending it to the hard hat, where it is blown out as an air curtain.
The startup developed the air mask in response to agriculture disruptions that occurred durin.
