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Study names most effective alternative face coverings
March 1st, 2022
A selection of commercially available face coverings. Photo: Debora Cartagena, USCDCP. As the Omicron variant surges, the CDC is expected to issue more robust mask guidelines. When PPE is not available many people resort to homemade alternatives, such as bandanas and neck gaiters. Seshadri Ramkumar, a professor in Texas Tech University’s Department of Environmental Toxicology, […]
SLO Architecture’s ‘Turntable’ contemplates Camden’s history and future
July 1st, 2021
The wind-powered “Turntable” installation at Cooper’s Poynt Waterfront Park in Camden, N.J., is comprised of three-ply polypropylene face masks, brass grommets, two-liter plastic bottles, chicken wire, plywood and steel. Photos: SLO Architecture. One of the many enduring reminders of the coronavirus pandemic is the sight of used, discarded masks littering public spaces. Amanda Schachter and […]
Mask mandates reduced COVID-19 in about two-thirds of U.S. states
June 1st, 2021
Researchers who concluded that mask mandates contributed to a reduction in cases of COVID-19 in two-thirds of states noted that masks must be worn properly and deployed in conjunction with other mitigating measures for maximum effectiveness. Photo: © Martinmark, Dreamstime.com. An analysis from Texas Tech University’s Department of Environmental Toxicology has affirmed the benefits of […]
Biden administration awards contracts for U.S.-made face masks
April 1st, 2021
The Biden administration has awarded two contracts to National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) members Parkdale Mills and Ferrara Manufacturing Inc., following through on the president’s pledge to procure millions of U.S.-manufactured face masks for community health centers, food pantries and soup kitchens across the country. A third contract is expected to be awarded to a small business […]
The larger issues in respiratory protection
November 12th, 2020
Dr. Bryran Ormond, assistant professor, Wilson College of Textiles, NC State explained respiratory protection in an “Ask an Expert” session with Jing Liang, Medical PPE Consulting LLC. Dr. Ormand has typically worked in the area of chemical and biological protective equipment, but with the onslaught of the pandemic, began to focus on respiratory protection generally, […]
Garments that deliver medicine can solve patient-compliance problems
November 11th, 2020
The impetus of Nufabrx, an innovative textile business, emerged from a common teenage ailment: acne. Back when John Schindler, CEO of Nufabrx, was a young college student, a dermatologist told him that washing his pillowcase two or three times a week would decrease his acne breakouts. Schindler says that laundering his pillowcase more often was […]
Chiki Diki develops fashionable protective gear for fighting contagions
September 1st, 2020
Chiki Diki cofounder Susan Hooper was inspired to create a fashionable line of protective clothing after an unpleasant flight in 2019, during which a seatmate coughed nonstop. Photo: Chiki Diki. Antimicrobial protective clothing company Chiki Diki is promoting a new line of fashionable protective gear and accessories featuring clever designs and proprietary textile treatments that […]
Face masks constructed with AKAS Textiles fabrics outperform N95 respirator in university test
July 15th, 2020
A study on the “Effectiveness of Common Fabrics to Block Aqueous Aerosols of Virus-like Nanoparticles” showed that in an aqueous media under positive pressure of 20 Kilo Pascal, stimulating a sneeze/cough, the top performer face mask was one constructed using fabrics manufactured by AKAS Textiles, a Pennsylvania-based textile manufacturer. The study by Northeastern University’s Department […]
Innovative face masks
July 1st, 2020
Everyone from couture fashion brands to Girl Scouts have taken up mask making to fight the spread of COVID-19, with textile companies drawing on their unique capabilities to introduce new innovations. The outer fabric of the Spacer Dome Pro mask from Apex Mills has a durable water-repellant finish to stay dry in bad weather, and […]