Canadian inventor Giancarlo Beevis has partnered with Youngdo Kim, CEO of Okyung International to develop anti-viral clothing to protect against the coronavirus outbreak. The product is being developed in cooperation with the EPA at Intelligent Fabric Technologies North America (IFTNA) and is called PROTX2 AV. In lab results the product is said to have destroyed 99.9 percent of COVID-19 within 10 minutes, with residual killing power for 24 hours.
The product will perform in a similar manner to the company's antibacterial line, PROTX2. It claims to inhibit bacterial growth while retaining fabric's natural characteristics. Companies across the globe are rushing to capitalize on this new technology, considering applications of this antiviral chemical on PPE, military clothing, travel wear, and everyday items, too.
It is unclear whether clothing will all have the substance pre-applied, or whether treatments will mirror an early discussion about antiviral laundry additives, but it's likely both options will eventually become available. One example we can draw some conclusions from is that of Scotch Guard, which is applied as a spray. No matter how it gets to us, antiviral clothing has the makings of big business. The antimicrobial textile market is on track to surpass $20.5 billion by 2026.
