Donning a face mask has become the norm — across the globe, people are wearing cloth or disposable face masks to protect themselves from SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. Studies have shown that masks significantly reduce disease transmission — they function as a filter to prevent infectious agents from being inhaled and contain any particles present in exhaled breath.
However, researchers at the City Univ. of Hong Kong (CityU) recently discovered that the majority of bacteria captured by commercial face masks remains alive within the material, for as long as eight hours.
This poses a threat to society when masks are improperly used or disposed. To address this short-coming, the team developed a laser-induced graphene (LIG) material that kills most of the bacteria present after eight hours...
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