Not only masks: what to wear so as not to become infected with a coronavirus
'17.04.2020'
Source: lady.mail.ru
Dense and textured fabrics will delay the virus, but clothes from them should be processed immediately after arriving home, writes lady.mail.ru.
The properties of the fabric from which your clothes are sewn affect the likelihood of coronavirus infection. The higher the density of the material, the less likely the pathogen to penetrate such tissue if the virus is in the air. This was told by microbiologists and tissue experts. During a pandemic, they advise wearing tight clothing, such as satin, satin, tweed, and do not forget to disinfect it immediately after arriving home.
In addition, COVID-19 is capable of retaining fabrics with a textured surface, such as faux suede, velveteen, velvet. Metal and plastic decor elements should be avoided - the virus lives on them for several days.
Catch and hold
Despite the introduced regime of self-isolation, people still have to leave their homes: to work, to the store, pharmacy, clinic. So how to get dressed?
According to previous studies by foreign scientists, a viable virus was detected in protective masks from various materials for three hours. No tissue data has been published so far. However, Russian experts tried to figure out how the pathogen behaves on different clothes.
“It is known about an experiment where the virus was drawn in through different tissues of masks using the air flow from the breathing apparatus,” said Sergey Konyaev, head of the scientific and educational department of the Moscow laboratory VetUnion. - As it turned out, the virus easily enough clings to the materials from which the masks are made. Moreover, the smaller the pore size (distance between the threads) and the more layers in the mask, the better the virus is retained in the tissue itself. That is, it "clings" to the material and is less likely to "fly out" out. As for the composition of the material, I don’t think that the antiviral properties will depend on it ”.
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Porosity is one of the main parameters of the structure of the fabric, affecting its physical, mechanical and consumer properties, explained the head of the department of decorative and applied art and art textiles of the Russian State University. A.N. Kosygina Irina Rybaulina. The higher the density of the material, the lower its porosity.
“Today, fabrics that have a fairly high density are used to make clothes,” she explained. - Moreover, this parameter will not depend on raw materials. Among the entire assortment, gauze has the highest porosity, but, as you know, it is not used for making clothes. Unless for sewing a summer wardrobe, they sometimes take the so-called gauze fabric. Of textile fabrics, knitted fabrics have a low density. Therefore, they should not be worn during a pandemic. ”
Almost all other fabrics used for sewing clothes, such as gabardine, tweed, satin, satin, have a small pore size. The likelihood that the virus will “linger” on the surface of the material can also be affected by its texture - the degree of roughness and heterogeneity. In particular, these fabrics include terry, velvet, faux suede, velveteen and plush.
Thus, when wearing clothes made of dense and textured fabrics, there is less chance of infecting other people. At the same time, it is better to remove it immediately after arriving home and be sure to dry it if it is wet. If possible, this should be done in the sun - ultraviolet is an excellent disinfector. Washing at high temperatures (more than 60 degrees) also successfully inactivates the coronavirus, however, it can damage delicate tissues.
The simpler, the better
Western scientists have found that the virus can remain viable on copper for up to four hours, on cardboard - up to 24, on stainless steel and plastic - up to three days. This means that particles of the pathogen may well be fixed on the elements of clothing decor - on buttons or zippers. If possible, they should be treated with an antiseptic or simply avoided in your wardrobe. The same goes for hair jewelry.
About how long the virus lives on the hair, there is no exact data yet. Dr. Adam Friedman, interim director of dermatology at the George Washington School of Medicine and Health, said there is a difference between live hair and loose or torn hair. In the second case, in his opinion, the virus can live on them for up to three days. Living strands are covered with sebum, which is a natural protective barrier against viruses. But it is worth considering that the production of such fat depends on the type of skin and other factors of the external and internal environment of the body. In addition, it covers the hair unevenly.
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“Viruses and bacteria cling to the hair quite easily, which is why all medical workers wear hats without fail,” explained Oleg Batishchev, associate professor of the Department of Biophysics at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (the university is a member of the 5-100 competitiveness improvement program), Deputy Director for Research ... - In theory, getting contaminated hair in the eye or mouth can lead to infection, so when going outside, it is better to pull the hair in a ponytail or pin it. However, there is no direct evidence that the virus can pass from hair to hands, and then to mucous membranes. ”
Experts recommend washing their hair daily during an epidemic. Shampoo contains surfactants - molecules that combine with dirt, oil, bacteria and viruses and are washed off with water.
