With renewed interest in antimicrobial copper to help fight Covid-19 there’s been a big spike in demand for surgical masks with a built in copper defence.
Google ‘copper masks’ these days and you’ll be inundated with news on the topic, everything from scientific details about how they work to a raft of companies and startups all round the world now making and selling them.
This was spurred by recent U.S. research showing Covid-19 related germs last just hours on copper but days on other materials like plastic, stainless steel and fabric.
A typical article in Fast Company magazine recently led with the headline “Copper masks are the latest craze. Should you buy one?” The story goes on to say that while they may cost more than ordinary ones, they draw on a long tradition of copper’s infection fighting credentials.
But it takes a balanced view, responding to its headline question: “The answer is complicated. ‘I have great hopes for copper masks,’ says Michael Schmidt, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the Medical University of South Carolina, who has studied the use of copper in medical products.
“But there is a lot of research that still needs to be done about [their] effectiveness”, Dr Schmidt added. “However, the effectiveness of a mask depends on how much copper is in it.”
The masks aren’t generally designed for people who are at high risk of being exposed to those with COVID-19, but more of an upgrade for the cloth masks increasingly being recommended by governments and health organisations.
The space has filled up quickly though. U.S.-based Cupron, which invented a proprietary copper-infused fabric for use in hospital linens, medical gowns, socks, towels, and countertops more than a decade ago, has created a a new category of reusable face masks. The company has sold more than 100,000 of its copper-infused masks-which can be laundered and reused with a long life cycle-but selling only to institutions so far.
But others are here too, from established companies like an Australian textile company pivoting to copper masks under its Copperline brand to startups like Atoms, The Futon Shop and Argaman, or to individuals like U.S microbiologist Phyllis Kuhn selling off her web site https://kuhncoppersolutions.org
But the important message says the Fast Company article is that unlike Cupron’s products most copper masks haven’t been scientifically tested yet.
“If you’re interested in purchasing a copper mask, Dr Schmidt urges caution. “You need to know what you’re buying and how to properly use it,” he says. “Do your homework. Don’t buy the first mask you stumble across.”
Fast Company article: https://www.fastcompany.com/90505186/copper-masks-are-the-latest-craze-should-you-buy-one