The mask has a layer of titanium dioxide (Ti02) inside, a chemical with virus destroying properties.
It means that germs which land on the mask surface do not spread any further, such as onto the wearer’s hands.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge sprayed tiles with Ti02 before applying SARS-CoV-2 particles – the virus that causes Covid-19.
The team found the technology destroyed the virus and it was undetectable after a few hours.
And what’s more, the tiles had been sprayed 120 days prior to the experiment, meaning their effects are long lasting.
The Ti02 can “effectively inhibit infection by Covid-19 for up to 120 days”, according to Ravi Gupta, a professor of clinical microbiology at the university who was involved with the study.
In an interview with Good Health, Prof Gupta, who helped identify the new coronavirus strain that emerged in Kent, said: “With the new variant of SARS-CoV-2, we need more than ever innovative protection.
“Most important is deactivation of the virus on a mask so that it cannot be transmitted by touch.”