COVID-19 pandemic created a major turn around after it appeared, spreading the infection across the world. Masks are one of the things that we need to prevent further increase in the infection rate of the novel coronavirus. CTVNews reported that one of the most efficient face masks currently is the "N95". The man behind the popular face covering, Peter Tsai, may be needed by the world to make another breakthrough that could help fight the ongoing pandemic.
Why should the U.S. care about foreign students’ access to American education? Because one such story is about Peter Tsai 蔡秉燚. Came from Taiwan. Went to school at Kansas State & taught at Univ of Tennessee. He invented the N95 mask. #ImmigrationMatters pic.twitter.com/iDLXkqJSbJ — Jason D. Finley (@finleyjd) July 17, 2020
The Taiwanese-American scientist who invented the synthetic fabric used to create the N95 respirators had been relieved from his duty for over two years when the pandemic struck. However, the famous inventor doesn't have any doubts about returning to work, especially when the healthcare workers needed him the most. His N95 invention is considered as the most effective safety barrier that could prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
When the coronavirus spread across the United States in March, he resumed working on sterilizing the masks. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent, spoke with Peter Tsai about his plan to resume his work during the country's most challenging health crisis.
"I felt I need to -- I need to help the health workers," said Tsai in his appearance on Gupta's "Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction" on Wednesday, July 15.
"You know, they put their lives at risk. What I know can help them," he added.
Why is Tsai's N95 face mask is so effective?
CNN explained the N95 masks are so effective because Peter Tsai used the corona electrostatic charging method to created its filters, allowing the face covering to block 95% of the particles that come in contact with it. His invention can attract neutral particles such as bacteria from viruses and then polarize them to trap them before they penetrate through the mask.
(Knoxville, TN)Peter Tsai, inventor who patented filtration material used in disposable N95 masks has stepped out of retirement to field calls from health-care workers in need of help in scaling up production. He set up home lab to test methods to sterilize disposable respirators pic.twitter.com/mHO6GFRkyP — GoodNewsCorrespondent (@GoodNewsCorres1) July 14, 2020
This is possible because of the positive and negative charges that its filters contain. However, when Tsai heard that some of the physicians and other health-care workers are reusing the masks to prevent supply shortages during their operations, he immediately went back to work. He conducted experiments such as putting the face mask in an oven, leaving them out in the sun, washing them with soap, and steaming them. The most effecting method he found was keeping the face coverings in 160-degree dry heat for 30 minutes--it can be done by hanging them in an oven.