Israeli mask which ‘gives 99 percent virus safety’ gets European lab approval

An Israeli start-up behind an anti-viral mask shown to neutralise 99 percent of coronavirus has received European verification.

Special coating on Sonovia’s state-of-the-art technology has been verified by VisMederi Textyle in Italy, a pharmaceutical company based in Tuscany, with the same testing showing it is equally effective at neutralising flu, as well as Covid-19.

The mask, which the firm says can reduce the spread of diseases caused by bacteria, fungi and viruses, even after many laundry cycles, was awarded a €2.4 million grant (£2.2m)  from the European Commission last year.

In March 2021, an Israeli facility accredited by the FDA (American Food and Drug Administration), found the SonoMask also eliminates 99 percent of acne-causing bacteria associated with masks (Maskne), which effects 50 million people a year.

Sonovia, which has now sold over 250,000 masks to over 100 counties – including in the UK where more than 11,000 have been purchased – said it is conducting trials to expand the use of its technology – as it looks to roll out masks more widely, as many countries continue to reopen from coronavirus lockdowns.

Dr. Aaron Garzon, Sonovia’s VP of R&D, said: “We are delighted with the results, but we are not stunned. As in all tests we have conducted so far, we once again our technology is showing fantastic efficiency against viruses and bacteria. Our cutting-edge technology will be the textile world’s insurance certificate to avoid the spread of future epidemics and viruses. I have no doubt that our technology will be able to eliminate the threat of any virus or bacteria that comes in contact with it, and the results will be similar. I applaud our scientific team for the long way we have come and look forward to expanding the technology in commercial applications.”

Sonovia listed on the Tel Aviv stock exchange in December 2020 and has since doubled in value to more than £30m. This comes after  Sonovia the Weipu Jishu lab in Shanghai found the fabric used in the masks “neutralised more than 90 percent of the coronavirus to which it was exposed”, as reported in June 2020.