Could a cotton-silk combo filter SARS-CoV-2?

Published April 24, 2020

I take anything from the American Chemical Society with a grain of salt, but this is notable because of my earlier post about how cloth makes a poor virus filter. The ACS is claiming that a combination of cotton (tightly woven) and silk (can hold a static electric charge) will work well.

One layer of a tightly woven cotton sheet combined with two layers of polyester-spandex chiffon — a sheer fabric often used in evening gowns — filtered out the most aerosol particles (80-99%, depending on particle size), with performance close to that of an N95 mask material. Substituting the chiffon with natural silk or flannel, or simply using a cotton quilt with cotton-polyester batting, produced similar results.

 

• I make the toolbox, then … bupkis

  I'm very good, I've found, at creating systems and workflows. Not so much actually using them. Read more… →

• What’re you lookin’ at?

  I think one of the big downsides to virtual meetings, big or small, is the inability to make eye contact.… Read more… →

• No, there’s no evidence supporting ivermectin

  Virtually the entire evidence in favor of ivermectin came from a single debunked study — so saying "Well, the jury is out" is a crock. Read more… →

• No, it’s not an error

  Here is the current CDC map showing "Level of Community Transmission of COVID-19, by State/Territory" — I think it speaks for itself. Read more… →

• Maybe the next mission

  If the Marines really are out there "protecting democracy" like the NFL says, you would think they'd be deployed to Texas. Read more… →

• DEA threats, insurer shenanigans, feds signal march-in, and more December 8, 2023
• Foolish optimists, Lilly’s GLP-1 entry, the better way to treat Lyme, and more December 7, 2023
• Muppets talk addiction, the right B12 timing, longevity drug for Rover, and more December 6, 2023