With the novel Coronavirus
(Covid-19) spreading globally and the world longing for medical solutions to
the pandemic, all eyes are on labs in Europe, China, the US, and Israel,
currently in the process of developing vaccines for Covid-19.
One medical innovation that
may not be able to single-handedly end the pandemic but is expected to succeed
in slowing the virus’ spread, is protective clothing, most notably masks,
manufactured by Israeli medical company Sonovia.
Sonovia specializes in using
anti-microbial textiles to prevent patients and employees at hospitals from
contracting diseases. Dr. Jason Migdal, a researcher with Sonovia, told TPS
that there were “dramatic reductions in hospital infections when our products
were used.”
“Cutting-edge nano-coating
technology” originally developed at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan allows the
company to use sound waves to place chemicals and materials such as copper into
textiles, thus ensuring long-term protection against bacteria.
Dr. Migdal says he and his
team are “leading the revolution in this field,” with the materials produced by
Sonovia “stronger than antibiotics and even working against bacteria resistant
to antibiotics.”
As the number of Covid-19
cases grew, research showed that certain materials, including the copper
nano-particles used in Sonovia’s materials, were able to kill off the virus.
With the crisis reaching
Israel, the company decided to import all of its raw materials from Germany and
have them made into protective masks in a factory in Jerusalem. “We have
donated 98% of our masks, and merely kept a few for strategic purposes.
We will
deliver more, as soon as we scale up our production,” Dr. Migdal told TPS.
With 120,000 masks already
donated to be distributed among medical workers and employees in critical
infrastructure, Sonovia is proud of its achievements. “The heart of our business
is truly Israeli. We originated here and are now utilizing out technology for
the public good,” Migdal stated.
Migdal would not state whether
his company could spell the end to the Coronavirus outbreak. And yet, he is
optimistic: “We can say very positively, though, we know that we can kill any
bacteria, and kill viruses. Specifically the novel Coronavirus.”
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