Bacteria and viruses, including coronavirus, are present in droplets and in some cases on airborne suspended particulate matter.

Surgical masks and particulate matter filters, even those that meet N95 and N99 standards, are designed to filter particulate matter. Most are not effective in filtering viruses.

However, even when they do filter bacteria and viruses, these trapped microorganisms are still alive on the mask. Through natural breathing and handling (removing, storing, wearing), this poses a great infection risk, as the microorganisms can pass through, transfer to your hand, or some other surface. Recent studies have shown that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that caused the COVID-19 infection, can survive on surgical masks for days.

The greater the exposure to the virus, whether in critical environments like hospitals or when used for extended periods of time and/or reused, the greater the risk of infection.

If the mask were able to destroy the virus and other pathogens powerfully and continuously upon contact, such risk would be mitigated.

Various masks claim to be antiviral and usually rely on a metal leaching technology using silver, copper, or zinc. Livinguard doesn’t use any of these or work in a comparable manner.

If considering such other masks, it is worth asking the following 10 questions:

1. Is the mask certified or compliant with any applicable regulatory standard?
2. COVID-19 is caused by a virus – is the mask “antibacterial” or “antiviral”?
3. Does the mask “inactivate” / ”destroy” viruses or simply “filter” them?
4. How applicable are the antiviral claims specifically against “coronavirus”, “COVID-19”, or “SARS-CoV-2”? Note that Human Coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E) and Feline Coronavirus (FCV) are generally accepted as surrogates for SARS-CoV-2.
5. How credible is the testing protocol and independent testing agency / laboratory, and what modifications have been made to the testing protocol? ISO 18184 is the internationally recognized standard to determine the antiviral activity of textile products.
6. What is the antiviral performance in terms of percentage inactivation or “log reduction” relative to regular masks or untreated fabrics?
7. What is the speed of the antiviral performance – is it tested as per the standard protocol or extended to 24 hours? Performance beyond 8 hours is meaningless, as most usage is less than 8 hours.
8. What is the durability of the antiviral performance – how long can it be used for with such performance, how many washes can it sustain, how long does the performance last from date of manufacturing and/or opening the package? The ISO 18184 protocol requires that the mask be washed 10 times before testing – has that been complied with?
9. How safe are the antiviral agents used – if the performance isn’t durable, why is that so? Does it claim to not leach chemicals?
10. How comfortable is the mask – beyond the materials used, does the antiviral treatment make it unusually difficult to breathe?

The textiles treated with Livinguard technology that are incorporated into Livinguard face masks have been scientifically tested to neutralize HCoV-229E, a generally accepted surrogate for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19). Based on its disinfecting effect on the surrogate virus, we are confident that the technology will disinfect the virus responsible for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2). This protection is sustained through multiple uses and washes when used as recommended.

However, the use of a Livinguard face mask does not substitute the need for good personal hygiene as recommended by the applicable authorities and cannot prevent infection when not wearing the mask and instances where the virus may enter the respiratory tract through other means such as cross contamination through the concerned person’s hand.

The Livinguard face mask offers multi-barrier protection to both the user as well as those around the user. Please see the How it works section above and our dedicated section on coronavirus.

Nelson Labs has reviewed our documentation and has preliminarily concluded it should be safe for use during the crisis, and that Nelson Labs will be conducting additional testing to confirm its conclusions.

Livinguard has passed extensive skin safety testing at Product Safety Labs in USA per US EPA requirements and at Hohenstein Institute in Germany per European standards.

• USA: We are working with the FDA to make our mask available in the US during the crisis.
• EU: Class I and Class II medical device claims are currently under review by Dekra.
• China: The version of our mask without an exhalation valve has been certified KN95 compliant by Guangdong Testing Institute of Product Quality Supervision.
• Australia: Masks meeting our specifications have been TGA approved as a Class 1 Medical Device.
• Other regions: Further certifications and conformity are in place for Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UAE, India, and others.

While you will always be the best judge for yourself, our masks are designed with comfort in mind for extended use throughout the day.

One mask is adequate in most cases. We would recommend two masks if you cannot wait for the mask to dry after washing it.

We currently have 3 sizes: Large, Medium, and Kids. Typically Large fits most men, Medium most women, and Kids most 7-12 year olds. The masks all come with the ability to slightly adjust the size and fit through adjuster beads on the ear loops. However, please exercise your own discretion when choosing a size for you. We are working on a sizing guide.

Our face masks are currently only available in navy blue.