During the pandemic, there has been unprecedented demand for disposable gloves due to the unfortunate spread of COVID-19. Understandably, the question has been raised if ‘virus-resistant’ PPE will protect against coronavirus and if our disposable gloves will be a safeguard for the virus?
It has been determined that the diameter of SARS-CoV-2 ranges between 60 nanometres (nm) to a maximum diameter of 140 nanometres (nm). The virus used in EN374-5 virus resistance is phi X 174 (or ΦX174) bacteriophage has a maximum diameter of ∼320 Å (Angstrom) or ~32nm.
In short, this means that coronavirus has a diameter too large to pass through PPE that has been verified as ‘virus-resistant’ and that Unigloves will continue to be able to provide protection suitable for your needs. Unigloves’ disposable medical gloves are appropriate to use as PPE and will reduce the risk of viral transmission and infection when used correctly.
Further resources: https://www.pnas.org/content/114/52/13708#:~:text=%CE%A6X174%20is%20a%20small%20icosahedral,the%20DNA%20pilot%20protein%20H
https://www.news-medical.net/health/The-Size-of-SARS-CoV-2-Compared-to-Other-Things.aspx
https://help.unigloves.co.uk/knowledge/coronavirus-support-material