This Face Mask Will Glow Under UV Light if Exposed to COVID-19
The fluorescent dye contains antibodies extracted from ostrich eggs.
Scientists at the Kyoto Prefectural University have developed a face mask that glows under UV light if exposed to COVID-19.
“In February last year, the team injected an inactive and non-threatening form of the coronavirus into female ostriches, successfully extracting a large quantity of antibodies from the eggs that they laid,” Kyodo News reported. As a result, the scientists created a fluorescent dye containing the antibodies extracted from ostrich eggs. The team then produced a special filter, which can be found inside the mask. To check whether you have been exposed to COVID-19, you can take the filter out and spray it with the fluorescent dye, which will glow under UV light if it contains traces of the virus.
On top of the 32 participants who were tested for the university’s experiment, the team aims to have 150 more people to be a part of the research for accurate results. “We can mass-produce antibodies from ostriches at a low cost. In the future, I want to make this into an easy testing kit that anyone can use,” said Yasuhiro Tsukamoto, the university’s president.
