Personal protective equipment to protect from viruses

ABSTRACT

The concept of masks and sanitizers has become an essential requirement that has been comprehensively used as a first line of defense toward numerous disease-causing viruses, bacterial agents, or environmental pollutants. However, conventional masks lack adequate capacity to provide full protection against certain bacterial and viral particles. Sanitizers have been an additional line of support that prevents the spread of bacteria or viruses. Thus, masks and sanitizers have been used together to protect oneself and others from disease-causing agents. Various types of masks and hand sanitizers have been developed by various research groups across the world for commercial application as an important personal protective covering. Masks and sanitizers developed in the last 2years have been exclusively used for protection against COVID-19 virus. There have been several types of masks fabricated with various levels of protection. Nanomaterial-based masks have been exclusively researched for their superior protection and to combat any viral particles. The efficacy of sanitizers and other disinfectants is based on their ability to reduce contamination levels. This chapter gives an overview on nanomasks and sanitizers that have been developed lately for self-hygiene and self-protection purposes and the advanced nanomaterials used in the fabrication and manufacturing of nanomasks and sanitizers. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.