Recently scientists from Harvard and MIT were able to create a sensor that emits a fluorescent light when activated by the COVID-19 coronavirus. This technology can be embedded into a face mask, or other materials as well that can help to detect and even prevent COVID-19. At the present time researchers are testing the masks to determine whether it is better to embed the sensor directly into the mask, or build a removable module that could be inserted into a pocket in the mask. The article below does an excellent job of providing all the details of the what and the how involved in the process.
As the country begins to open up and more people go back to work and school, face masks are becoming our first line of defense against the novel Coronavirus. Many businesses won’t allow employees or customers to enter without a face mask to protect against the transmission of moisture droplets or aerosols that could contain the virus.
One challenge is that asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic people can transmit the COVID-19 virus unwittingly. Studies indicate that the rate of asymptomatic transmission could be as high as 40 percent. To help prevent the silent spread, scientists at Harvard University’s Wyss Institute and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed virus-detecting technology that can be embedded on materials that can be worn, such as a face mask.
