Czech company to release face masks that capture and kill coronavirus in April

Face masks are generally worn not to protect the wearer, but to protect their surroundings from the spread of pathogens. But Brno-based company Respilon has developed a revolutionary facemask that actively works to capture and kill viruses.

The new product incorporates both a nanofiber weave, which is small enough to prevent the entry of pathogens, along with a layer of copper oxide nanoparticles that actively kill viruses including the coronavirus when it comes into contact with them.

Respilon has worked together with an Israeli partner that developed the copper dioxide nanoparticles in order to produce the masks.

“Thanks to the combination of nanofibers with copper oxide, it effectively protects against coronavirus, but it remains available to the public alongside government institutions and healthcare professionals,” Respilon director Roman Zima told reporters at a press conference today.

While work on the masks has been conducted at facilities in Israel and Turkey, production will take place in the Czech Republic.

Respilon will offer two types of the mask, ReSpimask Virus Killer and RespiPro Virus Killer, the second of which includes a FFP2 respirator. They will be sold for 200 and 315 crowns, respectively.

The masks are certified to last for up to 24 hours of use, but not necessarily consecutively; if you wear one for three hours a day, it can last a week.