Japanese researchers make phosphorescent masks when they detect coronavirus

Japanese researchers have developed masks that use ostrich antibodies to detect the new coronavirus, which glows under ultraviolet radiation.

The discovery by Yasuhiro Tsukamoto and his team at Kyoto Regional University in western Japan could pave the way for a low-cost diagnostic test for COVID-19 at home, they said in a press release.

The scientists began by creating a mask filter coated with ostrich antibodies that target the new coronavirus, based on previous research showing that these birds have a strong immune system against the disease.

In a small study, people wore the masks and after eight hours the filters were removed and sprayed with a chemical that glows under ultraviolet radiation if the presence of the new coronavirus is detected. The filters from the masks worn by people infected with the virus glowed in the area of ​​the nose and mouth.

The team hopes to further develop these masks so that they fluoresce automatically, without specific radiation, when the new coronavirus is detected.

Tsukamoto, a professor of veterinary medicine and president of the University, has been studying ostriches for years, looking for ways to adapt their strong immunity to fight bird flu, allergies and other diseases.

Tsukamoto told the Japanese news agency Kyodo that he found that he had contracted the new coronavirus when he wore one of the special masks and saw that it glowed when he checked it. The diagnosis of the mask was confirmed by a diagnostic test which he then underwent.

SOURCE: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ