A GP surgery has invested a new innovation with 'germ trap' technology to help protect its doctors and nurses.

Clarence Medical Centre in Rhyl were excited by the launch of Virustatic Shield. They have purchased these for all 60 members of staff including back room staff.

Virustatic Shield is the result of 10 years of research. The antiviral fabric coating applied to a light, easy-to-wear snood traps 96 per cent of airborne viruses.

Its protein coating, developed by Manchester biochemists, mimics the body's natural immune system to trap and disable viruses.

Dr Simon Dobson, senior partner at Clarence Medical Rhyl who has been a GP in Rhyl for 23 years, said: "We are living in uncertain times. We ordered and took delivery of 60 earlier this month, they are for every member of staff including receptionist, cleaning staff and all clinical staff.

"Last week about 20 per cent of our staff were off isolating due to possible Covid-19 symptoms.

"The partners take the view that the we will do everything we can to protect our staff and patients.

Rhyl Journal:

The antiviral fabric traps 96 per cent of airborne viruses

"The main purpose of the device for us is to help protect our staff when they travel to and from work and when the visit the supermarket or go out for daily exercise.

"We feel that this is in addition to maintaining social distancing of two-metres and strict hand washing.

"We have a supply of NHS Personal Protective Equipment but have also purchased FFP3 masks and goggles in addition to what has been supplied centrally, which we use in clinical situations.

"I had read about the science behind it from the research done over several years before it was launched," Simon added.

"We are also pleased to support a North Wales company."

Virustatic is a biotech firm based in Menai Science Park on Anglesey.

The team are working around the clock to upscale production to help with Covid-19.

Research, development and testing of the Virustatic Shield was a collaboration between leading scientists around the world.

Gwyn Hughes, patient services manager at Clarence Medical Centre, who has been at the surgery for 18 years, said: "The Virustatic snoods are another personal defence system against flu like viruses, although we will not be using them to see or treat patients, they are excellent for giving to our 60 staff to give them some piece of mind when nipping to the shop.

"We have stepped up our fight against Covid-19 and our routine treatments are now being done in what we are calling our 'red area'. Staff are not permitted to work in this area without standard PPE equipment.

"We have had some fantastic feedback from patients including one antenatal patient who said she was frightened to leave the house but after coming and seeing our set-up she felt reassured.

"Most of our PPE equipment has been purchased by the practice and has been very difficult to obtain.

"There are lots of people in the community doing some fantastic things to help such as making face visors using 3D printers and by staying home and maintaining social distancing are helping to fight this pandemic."

A spokesperson for Virustatic Shield told the Journal: "It has a protein coating that goes on the cloth. It has not been tested against Coronavirus but against infections like influenza.

"It has taken 10 years and is the work of a collection of academic institutes.

"It has been tested on live flu virus.

"It is the thinnest piece of cloth.

"We are working with a company called Carrington Textiles [the largest producer of workwear fabrics in the UK].

"We are trying to ramp up production and get as many as we can out. We are facing all the challenges - social distancing, a postal system that is strained to the limits."

Virustatic Shield can be worn comfortably for hours at a time. It is reusable, washable and harmless to touch after being exposed to germs.

The coating gives stopping power to the thinnest material. It acts as a barrier to viruses carried in aerosols invisible to the human eye.

The coating cationic properties attract, trap and kill viruses in airborne droplets 15 times smaller than a human hair.

Viruses infect their hosts by binding to receptors in the upper respiratory tract. Once there they can cause coughs, fever, breathing difficulties and, in severe cases, organ failure.

Each virus is wrapped in a protein 'envelope'. Virustatic Shield’s fabric coating mimics the body’s own respiratory tract cells, therefore disrupting this protective membrane and ultimately killing the virus.