A groundbreaking new antimicrobial product has been found to successfully eliminate the SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) virus on treated medical masks and rubber medical gloves for up to 72 hours.

The antimicrobial was originally developed by Goldshield Technologies to help reduce hospital-acquired-infections but with the rapid spread of Covid-19, the company quickly assessed how its patented Goldshield 5 product could be adapted to combat the virus.

The product underwent independent testing in a study that found that when applied to medical masks and gloves, Goldshield 5 created a residual protective bio barrier against the pathogenic Covid-19, killing it on treated medical masks and rubber medical gloves for up to 72 hours.

"We're incredibly encouraged to learn that Goldshield 5 is effective in killing the Covid-19 virus on essential personal protective equipment (PPE) products like masks and gloves, which we know our healthcare workers need more than ever right now," said Goldshield Technologies CEO Thomas Higgins. "This will be an international game-changer to aid against the spread of Covid-19 and we plan to move as swiftly as possible to make them available worldwide."

The study found that the Covid-19 inactivation rate was 99.88% kill rate on surgical masks treated with Goldshield 5, compared to the control group, with a residual kill rate observed for a period of three days. The Goldshield 5 treatment on medical gloves resulted in the inactivation of the Covid-19 virus at a kill rate of 94.87% compared to the control group.

It has been shown that Covid-19 can survive on surgical masks for up to seven days, so the residual impact of Goldshield 5 to mitigate this risk is seen as a major development. In addition, more than 50 independent studies were conducted to ensure the efficacy of Goldshield 5 which included three peer-reviewed, published studies featured in the American Journal of Infection Control.

The product is available for purchase on the company’s website and it plans to seek approvals from various regulatory agencies before releasing Goldshield-treated PPE products for purchase in the near future.