INTERNATIONAL
In the first test ever using the ISO method* on the SARS-CoV-2 (Covid 19) virus on textiles, Polygiene ViralOff® was confirmed the first commercial textiles treatment in the world to reduce the virus by over 99% over two hours. It is of enormous value to have a confirmation that the SARS-CoV-2 behaves the same as the other standard viruses tested in commercial contexts, said Polygiene.
Finding a lab that handles this virus is hard, as it requires a high security level and such labs are both rare and extremely busy. As long as this virus is considered dangerous it will not be available for commercial testing of specific product applications. But with these tests we will be able to compare commercial tests to the results on the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
“On one hand, we were convinced even before the tests were in. But now we have it on paper, and that has an enormous significance for our partners and for the end-users. After all, people all over the world discard or wash things every day out of the concern that the virus might be present in the textile. This takes a completely unnecessary toll on the environment,” said Ulrika Björk, CEO of Polygiene.
The purpose of treating textiles with ViralOff is not to protect the wearer from infection or make any other health claim. It is a treatment to protect the garment. This in turn means it does not have to be cleaned or disinfected, she explained. Consumers already wash clothes where it is not really necessary because of worry about odour and through sheer habit. Adding concerns over viruses will add to this. Beyond the environmental effects of wearing more and washing less, there are also countries that demand disinfection of products before they are sold – a ViralOff treated garment will do that by itself continually, said the company.
“There is one virus the entire world is focused on right now, and there is one method that should be used to test on textile. We are very proud to be the first in bringing these two together” says Trevor Saunders, director of global textile operations.
“Commercially, it changes few things formally. We have always worked with a very serious approach that anything treated with ViralOff will pass the ISO test, and that we can predict effect on viruses that are not tested directly, through our base research. But emotionally, it of course is great to have the first ISO evidence of efficacy against the SARS-CoV-2, and of course it will translate to new opportunities for us”, said Mats Georgson, CMO.
Polygiene will continue the tests across several materials as well as washing durability.
This information is information that Polygiene AB (publ.) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out below, at 08.00 CET on September 7, 2020.
* ISO 18184:2019 Textiles — Determination of antiviral activity of textile products
