DHAKA: Bangladeshi health experts have praised the “timely” creation of an “anti-virus fabric” that inventors claim can destroy the coronavirus.
The “Corona Block Fabric” was developed by Zaber & Zubair Fabrics Ltd. (Z&Z) after more than two months’ research.
“We’ve added a unique solution, produced by a Switzerland-based chemical company, which kills 99 percent of the coronavirus within two minutes and 100 percent within 10 minutes,” Anol Rayhan, the firm’s brand manager, told Arab News on Saturday.
The brand has received certification from the US-based Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and its Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the EU’s Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA), and from the UK, allowing the product to be marketed in the US, Canada and European markets as a “non-toxic and environment-friendly product.”
“We began the research work and development of the fabric right after the outbreak. It took us nearly two and a half months to get the desired results,” Rayhan said.
Inventors are hoping the fabric can be used to produce shirts, trousers, masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) that can be exported across the globe.
The hard work seems to have paid off, Rayhan said, with Z&Z receiving “a massive response from several top brands around the world.”
“We received queries from more than 100 top brands, which include H&M, Marks & Spencer and Tesco, and hope to start large-scale production after Eid,” he said.
The first consignment of half a million masks, which were made using the unique fabric, was ordered by Dubai-based United Holdings and is expected to reach the UAE before Eid this month.
While the anti-virus fabric is costlier than normal cloth used for such purposes, Z&Z said that it “more durable and can withstand several rinse cycles.”
“Our costs will be around 15 to 20 percent higher than the regular price, and it will endure a soap wash of 30 times,” Rayhan said.
Public health experts lauded the “timely” invention, adding that it could provide a “source of relief” for people around the world.
“Now the world needs reusable PPE. If the producers can keep the price at an affordable range, it will help many countries of the world, especially developing nations, in fighting the epidemic,” Prof. Dr. Amanullah Ferdous from Dhaka University told Arab News.
