Anti-viral hand protection - water soluble healthcare gloves

COVID-19 and other viruses and diseases are spread from person-to-person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person coughs or exhales and the droplets land on objects and surfaces. Others can catch the highly infectious virus by directly inhaling the droplets or touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and UK Government advice is to wash hands frequently for 20 seconds using soap and warm water to inhibit the spread of the virus. Soap breaks the fat membrane of the virus and the virus then becomes inactive.

Wearing gloves is a convenient way to minimise contamination from viruses, diseases and germs and keep hands clean, but they are only useful when handwashing is either not possible or is insufficient to prevent contamination. If they are worn, they need to be changed frequently. Even if gloves are worn for protection, virus transfer can still occur through touching of face, when taking gloves on and off and cross-contamination from touching multiple items. It only takes one mistake and the virus can be transmitted into the body.

In this unique project, we will develop materials for gloves that are biodegradable, dissolvable in water and contain anti-viral & soap additives. Anyone wearing the gloves would wash them off in warm water at 40-50C instead of taking them off. The materials will be stable under normal use but the application of water at 40-50C will trigger the dissolution of the material, release the soap/foaming agents and all will be washed down the drain under the hand-washing action in the recommended 20 seconds. Use of such dissolvable gloves will significantly reduce the risk of virus and infectious disease transfer.