This Virus-Killing Scarf is a Mask Alternative
In some parts of the world, wearing a surgical mask whenever you leave home to protect yourself from pollution and disease is commonplace. In other places, it will get you mercilessly teased or avoided as if you had the plague. In places where the face mask still isn’t embraced as a healthy accessory, the Scough might be the answer to keeping you healthy.
The Scough, developed in Brooklyn, is a stylish alternative to the type of filtered mask that protects against transmission of coronavirus and other contagious diseases.
It’s available in several different colors and patterns, so you can coordinate your “healthware” with your outfit. But more importantly, it comes with a removable filter to keep out all of the nasty, nasty things in the air.
The filter is composed of activated carbon impregnated with silver – the same kind of filter used by the military to protect troops from chemical warfare. The filter material traps and kills airborne bacteria as well as filtering the polluted air around you. If it’s treated well, the filter can last up to three months. There’s no guarantee that the Scough will keep you totally illness-free, but it will certainly cut down on the likelihood that you’ll get infected with something icky on your daily bus ride.
When the Scough isn’t in use, the makers suggest that you keep it in a sealed plastic bag or airtight container to protect the integrity of the filter. If you wear the Scough while you are ill, it also helps to protect the people around you from catching your bug. The first designs produced were for cooler weather, but the Scough team has since debuted a range of lighter anti-virus scarves and bandannas for warmer weather.
“We started Scough six years ago as an investigation into how we might use an incredible technology—industrial-grade woven carbon barriers—to bring awareness to our world’s growing air quality issues.”
