Latest fashion design this summer flu
WASHINGTON DC – Move over facial masks, a new form of protection is in town, and this one doesn’t have to be disposed of after a single use.
The flu-protective armor -a recent design from the Center of Disease Control (CDC)- has been termed as Biohazard Universal Resistant Quarantine Armor(BURQA) and can be reused after a simple tumble-dry.
“We came up with the design after an extensive study of different types of dressing in adverse environments,” said Dr Ellen Nestor, a CDC spokesperson. “We had the idea of issuing gas masks, but that seemed too expensive, so we finally took a cue from a certain contact of ours based in the Middle East.”
The standard-issue armor was designed to cover not just the facial area, but also all parts of the body, so as to reduce the chance of viruses creeping through holes in fabric. The effectiveness in filtering out airborne particles was put at 99.99999%, a marked increase from the N100 facial mask. However, according to the CDC, the results were varied based on gender.
“For some reason, the BURQA seemed to be more effective when worn by women than compared to men. When worn by men, the filter’s effectiveness seemed to be at 80 percent. We’re still studying the cause for that,” Dr Ellen was reported as saying.
When asked if there will be a separate armor for men, Dr Ellen replied that a design was in the works, although it would be much smaller than the BURQA and only cover the immediate facial area. The CDC was also in talks with the government on enforcing the armor as standard issue for women’s clothing throughout the year, depending on the trend of the H1N1 strain and how subsequent flu outbreaks would develop.
The BURQA should be available for distribution in the third quarter this year, and will be available in five different colours.
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