A new sanitiser could help keep healthcare workers safe when treating Ebola patients in West Africa, according to its developers.
The product – Zylast – was introduced around two years ago by US start-up company BioDefense, It was intended to improve upon traditional alcohol-based sanitisers by offering ongoing protection.
Zylast is already being used in hospitals and schools worldwide. It is said to differ from standard alcohol sanitisers in that it remains active for six hours instead of the usual 15 seconds.
Now Zylast chief executive Colette Cozean claims the product could become a lifeline for healthcare workers fighting the Ebola epidemic in Africa, where the excessive heat means that protective suits can only be work for around 40 minutes at a time.
If Zylast is applied before the suits are put on, the workers would still be protected against infection when the suits were removed, she explains. “If something splatters, it doesn’t become a death sentence,” she adds.
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