A new series of SARS prevention products including permeable and breathable protection clothes and masks, functional foods and disinfecting vehicles for clothes washing have been successfully developed recently by the Institute of Military Necessities under the General Logistics Department of the People?s Liberation Army (PLA). Of them, the major functional index of the protection clothes and masks have all reached or surpassed the latest technological standards issued by the state.
According to an investigation in hospitals receiving SARS patients, researchers of the institute find that the protection clothes for medical use in SARS prevention are mainly made of rubbery or coating textiles. While the weather gets hotter and hotter, medical workers are made to feel uncomfortable shortly after they dress in the protection clothes which are of a tight fit. It creates difficulties for them in providing proper treatment of their patients. Some medical workers feel suffocated, sweating a lot and even collapsing after wearing the protection clothes for some time.
In light of this situation, researchers, led by Zhou Guotai, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and head of the institute, have combined special SARS prevention technologies and developed a new series of protection clothes for medical use based on the waterproof, anti-static electricity, incombustible, anti-virus and deodorant materials they already have.
The new series of protection clothes are anti-virus, permeable, breathable and comfortable.
The test result shows the protective rate of the new series of protection clothes is 20 percent higher than the national standard. Its permeability is five times that of ordinary protection clothes. Of them, the protection rate of the new (polytetrafluoroethylene microporous) film has reached 99 percent (the national standard being over 70 percent), and it can be repeatedly used 15 times. The protection rate of the protection clothes made of super micro-thin fibers and highly effective filter materials has reached 95 percent and can be repeatedly used five times. Its permeability is better than single-layer pure cotton protection clothes. The protection function of the newly developed surgical masks has also surpassed the national standards.
In addition, the protection products developed by the institute also include anti-virus protection clothes specially designed for military staff on duty, and washing vehicles which have a disinfecting function.
Meanwhile, they have designed 18 varieties of nutritious recipes and self-service foods as well as functional beverages for SARS prevention.
(China.org.cn by Wang Qian, May 9, 2003)
