Japanese scientists have developed a facemask imbued with an extra layer of ostrich antibodies to detect coronavirus particles that will glow under ultraviolet (UV) light.
Several previous studies have proven that the bird possesses high resistance to the coronavirus.
According to the details, scientists tested the special mask in a small-scale study that involved a few hundred participants who were required to wear the masks for eight hours in a real-world environment.
At the end of the duration, scientists removed the layer and sprayed it with a special chemical that makes COVID-19 particles glow under ultraviolet light. The extra layers of the masks of a number of participants glowed under the UV light, confirming that they had been in contact with coronavirus particles and needed to undergo a standard COVID-19 diagnostic test.
Veterinary Professor at Kyoto Prefectural University and the man behind this innovation, Yasuhiro Tsukamoto, said in an official statement that his team is now working to develop masks that will automatically glow on coming into contact with coronavirus particles.
He added that the manufacturing of this special mask on a large scale will allow a cheaper alternative tool for the easy detection of coronavirus worldwide.
