Now ditch cloth masks, use silicone masks

At the beginning of this year, at the beginning of the Corona epidemic, there was a severe shortage of face masks around the world, and now to remove this shortage, experts from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created the world’s cheapest and most effective reusable mask. It can cost as little as $15.

The new innovation is called ‘Eye Mask’ which is completely made of silicone. It can be used repeatedly without any fear of contamination. Although more research is yet to be done on it, experts say it could prove to be a great alternative to masks like the N95.

The shape of this mask is very similar to the N95 mask, but with the addition of silicone rubber that can be sterilized and reused. Filters on both sides for air flow are also replaceable. A detailed article about the eye mask has also been published in the British Medical Journal Open.

The eye mask is made with a 3D printer. Some of its samples were given to doctors and nurses for use, which they described as easy to breathe, comfortable and excellent.

Although N95 masks are capable of blocking 95% of the coronavirus, they cannot be reused. But there was a strong demand for this mask worldwide, so the medical staff had to clean it with disinfectants and use it many times. While epidemiologists describe it as a terrible threat to health.

Interestingly, the MIT experts cleaned the eye mask using several common methods, but it remained undamaged and usable. In this sense, this mask of only 15 dollars can be an important means of protection against the virus for all of us in the epidemic.