Team:NEYCFLS China/Description












  • Covid-19 Infection and Deaths

  •      A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Unlike the organisms that we usually refer to (humans, plants, bacteria etc.), viruses do not have a cell structure, and they only contain a protein shell, and viral DNA or RNA. As simple as they are, viruses are found in almost every ecosystem on Earth and are the most numerous type of biological entity.

  •      From the beginning of 2020 till now, Covid-19 has been spreading and showing us its impact on people’s livelihoods and health.

  •      The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a dramatic loss of human life worldwide and presents an unprecedented challenge to public health, food systems and the world of work. The economic and social disruption caused by the pandemic is devastating: tens of millions of people are at risk of falling into extreme poverty, while the number of undernourished people, currently estimated at nearly 690 million, could increase by 132 million by the end of the year, according to ILO, FAO, IFAD and WHO.


  •     It is not only about poverty and loss in business, it can largely affect our health and trigger numerous illnesses even after recovery. According to the NHS, the symptom of COVID could be a high temperature, a new and continuous coughing and a loss to our smell and taste at the beginning, and may eventually develop into hypopnea and lead to death caused by insufficient oxygen.


  • Importance of Masks

  •     COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets. Respiratory droplets travel into the air when you cough, sneeze, talk, shout, or sing. These droplets can then land in the mouths or noses of people who are near you or they may breathe these droplets in.

  •     Masks are vital in preventing the virus from spreading, and many studies have proven this to be true. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that face masks are “the most effective means to prevent interhuman transmission,” an inexpensive bulwark that, when combined with physical distancing, quarantine and contact tracing, is “the most likely fighting opportunity to stop the COVID-19 pandemic” absent an effective vaccine or drug therapy. The study, by Renyi Zhang of Texas A&M University, and colleagues, looked at outbreaks of the coronavirus in Wuhan, China; in northern Italy; and in New York from Jan. 23 to May 9. They concluded that “the difference with and without mandated face covering represents the determinant in shaping the pandemic trends in the three epicenters.” Face masks alone “significantly reduced the number of infections… by over 78,000 in Italy from April 6 to May 9 and over 66,000 in New York City from April 17 to May 9.” By studying pandemic trends, they concluded that the other measures — distancing, isolation and contact tracing — must be accompanied by face masks to really make a difference.



  • Different Types of Masks

  •     Masks can be classified into three major categories. With cloth masks being the least protective and N95 protection masks being the most effective at keeping out pathogens.

  •     Cloth Masks can be made from a variety of fabrics and many types of cloth masks are available. The masks that are worn should have multiple layers of tightly woven, breathable fabric, and fabric that blocks light when held up to bright light source.

  •     Disposable face masks are widely available; they are sometimes referred to as surgical masks or medical procedure masks and are made of multiple layers of non-woven material.



  •     According to CDC, there are multiple ways to have better fit and extra protection with cloth and disposable masks, including wear two masks (disposable mask underneath AND cloth mask on top), combining either a cloth mask or disposable mask with a fitter or brace, or tucking ear loops of a 3-ply mask where they join the edge of the mask.

  •   Another class of masks are respirators. Some respirators are designed and tested to meet international standards. These respirators are labeled to tell you what standard they meet. Respirators approved by NIOSH are evaluated by NIOSH against a specific US standard that includes a quality requirement.

  •     NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) approves many types of filtering facepiece respirators. The most widely available are N95, but other types (N99, N100, P95, P99, P100, R95, R99, and R100) offer the same or better protection as an N95. N95s filter up to 95% of particles in the air and proper fit can be achieved, they may feel harder to breathe through than a cloth mask, and unfortunately, they are usually more expensive than regular surgical masks.

  •     However, all of these masks have a defect in common, they allow small amounts of viruses and bacteria to adhere to the masks’ surface.


  • ANTI-Virus Mask

  •      ANTI-Virus is the abbreviation for Argentum Nanoparticle Tie-dyeing Indigo against Virus. For this year’s project, will use E.Coli to produce indigo, modify the indigo with silver nanoparticles, and apply the modified dye to the most outer layer of surgical masks. The masks that have been dyed with ANTI-Virus will prevent the viruses and bacteria in the air from adhering to the masks and kill those that somehow find a way to stay on masks, all when retaining the mask’s electric discharge and polypropylene network.