Children and frontline staff of Sri Lanka are to receive more than 23,000 masks with a revolutionary technology that will help them to stay protected from the novel coronavirus, according to the news website lankanewsweb.net. The masks, which were manufactured by Livinguard, an international hygiene technology company, were donated to World Vision Lanka recently and will be distributed among children immediately.

The masks were manufactured in Sri Lanka using a revolutionary technology that effectively destroys >99.9% of SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, the report says. The three-layer masks, which are the recommended level of protection by the World Health Organization, continuously capture and destroy the virus thanks to the Livinguard Technology, it says.

Livinguard’s Founder and CEO, Sanjeev Swamy commented: “Livinguard’s vision is to protect the health and wellbeing of people and the planet with the world’s first permanent disinfector. Our priority is to bring superior protection to those that need it most and we are humbled and honoured to be able to donate our masks to children and frontline workers via our partnership with World Vision Lanka.”

At World Vision, we emphasize on partnerships to serve the most vulnerable children and adults

Given the recent flare-up of COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka, this timely donation by Livinguard through World Vision Lanka will keep the children and frontline staff away from the virus and help the government's efforts to control the spread in the country, the report continues. Among these, 22,000 will be donated to the children, while the remaining 1200 to the frontline staff.

Further, the report says, these reusable masks can be used up to seven times before washing and can be washed up to 30 times, hence under normal usage conditions, they can be used 210 times.

"At World Vision, we emphasize on partnerships to serve the most vulnerable children and adults," said Dr Dhanan Senathirajah, the National Director of World Vision Lanka. "I am delighted that we will be able to support 23,200 children and frontline workers through this partnership with Livinguard. The pleasing thing about this partnership is that we know that we are not forced to choose between safety and the environment. Each of these Livinguard masks practically replaces 210 single-use masks, and as a socially responsible organisation, this makes us happy."

World Vision will distribute the masks to the students from the most-vulnerable schools in the North, East, North West, Uva, and Central regions. Every region will receive 4,400 masks, in medium and large sizes. Medium size masks can be worn by grade 8 and 9 students, while the large size fits students from grade 10 and above.

Following the novel coronavirus outbreak in Sri Lanka in March, World Vision Lanka has been in the forefront assisting the health workers and other frontline staff, in addition to its programme to donate dry rations to the affected families. Through its COVID-19 response, it distributed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to over 5000 health workers and other individuals, while over 27,300 masks and gloves were donated to community health workers and frontline health workers.

Livinguard is a hygiene technology company with a laser focus of reinventing hygiene in the 21st century by bringing its technology to where it is most needed. Currently, it is applying the Livinguard technology to solutions that lessen the health risk and economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis by enabling people to protect themselves, return to work, and take back their lives.

Livinguard is partnering with MAS Holdings in Sri Lanka, one of the world’s most recognized design-to-delivery solution providers in the realm of the apparel and textile manufacturing and recognized for its ethical standards and sustainable working environment.

World Vision is a Christian, relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. World Vision works through its main sectors – education, health and nutrition, water and sanitation, economic development, and child protection – serving all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. World Vision has been in Sri Lanka since 1977 and currently serves in 32 locations in 15 districts across the country through its long-term development programmes. In 2019, World Vision Lanka directly impacted nearly 100,000 children and their families.