A group of Portuguese researchers with the participation of the universities of Aveiro, Porto and Minho is working on a project to create a soles for shoes that are resistant to viruses, writes Worldfootwear.com.
"Protective Materials for Shoes" (SM4S) is developed by the consortium and footwear company Ropar, which is responsible for the Arcopedico brand. This comfort footwear company has strong ties to the healthcare sector and is present in more than 50 countries.
“The earth is a vehicle for the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which means shoes can be a vehicle for the transmission of COVID-19,” says one of the project participants.
The solution is based on endowing the sole with additional antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties. This will not affect the mechanical properties of the material, but will help prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and other bacteria and fungi.
Such soles can also be especially useful in hospitals and other healthcare settings. They will create more protection for health care workers and their families, the researchers believe.
“We expect the product to be introduced to national and international markets soon,” the researchers said in a statement.
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